The Hyrule Tournament
by anime animal
Summary: This is the result of watching too much DragonballZ :) Link's fed up with nobody taking him seriously, so he decides to do something about it... Like winning the junior warriors' tournament... COMPLETE!
1. Prologue

The Hyrule Tournament

By anime animal

Disclaimer: If you know the characters in this, then they're Nintendo's, if you don't know some of the characters in this then they're mine.

A.N. This is what comes of watching too much DragonballZ - a tournament with l'il Link as the underdog battling it out to get respect (think Trunks and Goten here). And just to make things a little more interesting, we're going to have a little surprise discovery happening... got you curious yet? Mwah ha ha!

Prologue.

Hyrule was buzzing, the whole of Kakariko and the Market Town were talking about the upcoming tournament. 

"What's goin' on Zel?" A very confused Link asked his friend. "The whole kingdom's gone mad!"

Zelda giggled and readjusted her headdress, smoothing her skirts as she settled down next to him on the log he was sitting on.

"It's the Hyrule Tournament, silly. Everybody goes crazy before it happens." She smiled and continued. "Everyone from all over the kingdom comes to the castle for two days in which a massive tournament is held. The main tournament is to find the best warrior in the kingdom. The have to compete in an archery competition and amount a certain number of points before they can take part in the one on one sword fight on the final day. The winner is crowned top knight and earns the right to sit next to my father on his right hand side at a glorious banquet celebrating the end of the tournament."

"But that's your place..."

"I know, but I give it up for the night and sit two places along on the left."

"Why two places?"

Link scratched his head, confused on Hylian etiquette. Zelda sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Because the winner of the junior tournament sits on his left."

"The juniour tournament?"

Zelda nodded.

"Yeah. Hey, why don't you enter that? You could so easily win and then everyone would know that you really are the Hero of Time!" Zelda said enthusiastically.

Ever since their return from the future and their defeat of Ganondorf, nobody believed that the pair held Triforces, neither did they believe that a small, ten year old child could be the Hero of Time. After a while, Link had stopped trying to convince them, fed up with being laughed at.

A devilish grin spread across his angelic face.

"Yeah, I could couldn't I? That would be so cool!"

Zelda smiled and nodded.

"It would be. Not only would you show everyone, it would mean that you could sit next to me and that I wouldn't have to be groped by pimply adolescents!"

Link looked at her in surprise.

"They do that?"

Zelda blushed.

"Well no, not really. Well, at least they haven't yet, because the guy who's won for the last few years is a really nice person."

"How many time's has he won it?" Link asked, interested at once at the sound of competition.

"He first entered when he was twelve, he got knocked out in the quarter finals, but he won it when he was thirteen and has for the last two years."

"So he's fifteen?"

Zelda giggled.

"Bravo, you can count."

"Hey, I resent that!" Link pouted, folding his arms across his chest. "I may not know as much as you, but I do know that much."

"I know you do, I'm only teasing." She said, smiling prettily at him. "But you really should enter, you could leave 'em all standing. And some of the adults too."

"You have that much faith in me?" Link asked, wide eyed.

Zelda nodded.

"Sure I do, you _are the Hero of Time after all, it would be rude if I didn't."_

"Alright then, I'll enter, and I'll beat this fifteen year old's ass!"

Zelda knew full well that Link would try his hardest to win, and would make this tournament one to remember.

Part 1 coming soon if you want it!

******


	2. Let the games begin!

Disclaimer: I'd like to own Legend of Zelda, but I don't. But if anyone wants to know what to but me for Christmas…

Chapter 1: Let the games begin!

The day of the tournament dawned cold with a light ground frost and a nip in the air. Link rode to the castle, oblivious to the cold with his breath freezing before him as he and Epona made their way through the field. Their footsteps crunched through the frozen grass, leaving dark footprints in the sparkling grass. 

"This is going to be such a great day." Link told the filly. "And then no-one will be able to laugh at me anymore."

Epona snorted and tossed her head.

"Hah, and then I get to sit next to Zelda at the banquet!"

He rode into the castle precincts, staring in amazement at the brightly coloured tents that littered the area. Coloured flags fluttered in the breeze, giving the overall impression of impressiveness.

"Link!"

Malon, huddled up in a canary yellow cloak, came running up to her friend with a big grin on her face.

"Hi! Wow, Epona's looking great! Are you competing in the tournament?"

Link nodded and patted Epona's neck.

"I sure am. I'm gonna win too."

Malon looked at him and then burst out laughing.

"You... ha ha ha... you think you're gonna win... ha ha ha!"

Link narrowed his eyes.

"Go on, laugh at me." He mumbled. "Everyone does, but I'll show 'em."

"I know, I know." Malon said, snorting back her laughter.

"No you don't! You're just like everyone else!" He yelled, spurring Epona on and running off to the enclosure when the knights were assembled, polishing their armour. He blinked and watched them, awestruck.

"Hyrule's finest warriors." He breathed, before another grin spread across his face. "And I'm better than all of them!"

"A bit cocky aren't we?"

He turned around to see a boy with jet black hair and mahogany eyes smiling at him.

"So you're competing are you?" He asked.

Link dismounted and nodded.

"Yeah."

The boy grinned in amusement.

"A little young aren't you?"

Link's eyes narrowed.

"The rules of the tournament say that anyone under the age of sixteen can compete in the junior tournament. I'm under sixteen..."

"So I see." The boy said in amusement. 

"I am not too young! And if you think I'm something to laugh at then you'll be eating your words when I win."

The boy smiled again.

"I'm glad you have confidence, it's helpful when everyone doubts you. I'll see you in the finals then. Good morning Princess."

Link watched him go, uncertain whether or not the boy had been mocking him.

"Hey Link!"

Zelda was standing behind him, looking beautiful. She was wrapped up in a red velvet cloak trimmed with white fur that was worn over a white dress. Link swallowed hard and smiled.

"Morning Zel, you look... pretty."

Zelda blushed.

"Thank you. Looking forward to the tournament?"

Link nodded and cracked his knuckles.

"Yeah."

"So you met Aidyn then?"

"Who's Aidyn?" Link asked, scratching his head.

"That guy you were talking to. He's the one I was telling you about."

"Him?"

Link looked at the boy, who was talking to a tall man with dark blonde hair and a small beard.

"He doesn't look anything special..." He mumbled.

Zelda laughed softly.

"You would say that." She smiled. "He's quick, and that's the attribute that throws most of them off."

"I'm quick..." Link mumbled.

"Did I mention that his father was General Olaran?" Zelda said casually.

"Who?" Link asked.

Zelda looked at him in surprise, her hands on her hips and her mouth open.

"How can you not know who General Olaran is?" She asked. "He's the greatest strategist in Hyrule, he and my father were in the army together and he remains undefeated in everything. He had to retire from the tournament because he kept beating everyone. And he's my godfather."

Zelda pointed at the man Aidyn was talking to.

"That's him over there."

The general looked at the two at that moment, smiling as he caught sight of the princess and walked towards them.

"Little Princess, you get more beautiful every year." He said fondly, bowing to her.

Zelda laughed softly.

"You say that every year, I have reason to believe that you're nothing but a hopeless flatterer."

Olaran grinned.

"Every bit your mother's daughter Princess." He said, chucking her under the chin.

His attention turned to Link and he smiled at the boy.

"So you're the boy who's going to win eh?"

Zelda smiled.

"Yes he will. Link's even better than half the knights at the castle."

"That's not difficult." Link mumbled. "They're all morons."

Olaran looked at the sullen little boy and laughed.

"At last, someone who sees things my way!"

A fanfare blew, announcing the start of the first event. Zelda hurriedly curtsied to her companions.

"I have to get going. See you after lunch!"

Link watched her go, noticing that her hood had fallen back and that her hair was blowing in the wind.

"So Link." General Olaran said, looking at the boy. "Is this your first competition lad?"

Link nodded.

"Yeah, but I'm not scared."

"I wasn't suggesting that you were." Olaran chuckled. "You're rather bellicose aren't you?"

"I am not!" Link argued in a bitter tone and then added in the same tone. "What does bellicose mean?"

Olaran laughed.

"It means that you're eager to fight."

"Oh." Link said, slightly embarrassed.

"Well my friend I must begin the proceedings. Good luck, I will be watching you with great interest."

Link smiled to himself as Olaran walked out of sight.

"You better not blink or you'll miss me." 

******

Zelda applauded politely as the final adult bowed to her father and took up his bow. He had ten arrows and ten targets, and was to shoot one arrow at each with the aim of getting as many points as possible in total. He took aim and fired.

"Thirty points!"

Zelda applauded, yawning unseen to the audience. This was really getting very boring. After ten shots, his overall score was two hundred and seventy points. He had missed the last target and hit the orning of one of the cake stands. Zelda had never seen anything so pathetic in her life.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the junior archery will begin in five minutes, once we have rearranged the targets.

Zelda excused herself and escaped the tent, running out to the place where the junior competitors were waiting. She could see many of the fathers giving their children tips, including Olaran. He was talking to Aidyn quietly, probably about the wind direction and footing. He wasn't the best strategist on the army for nothing.

She spotted Link standing next to Epona, feeding her a carrot. The princess couldn't help but notice how laid back he was. By this stage, all the youths and their fathers had noticed that she was there and were bowing politely. She acknowledged their greetings and walked past Link.

"Come to the tent, but don't follow me directly. I'll see you in a minute."

Link looked up in surprise, but nodded anyway and was behind the Royal Tent at the appointed time. 

"OK Zel, I'm here. How come we couldn't talk out there?"

"In case any of those jerks gave you a hard time about knowing me." She replied. "I just want to wish you luck. You'll beat all of them."

She gave him a little kiss on the cheek that caused him to go pink right to the tip of his ears.

"What did you do that for?"

Zelda blushed a little.

"It was for luck." She said with a shy giggle. "And if you like, I'll give you another one when you win."

The pink deepened to scarlet.

"Well, er, I'll see you later Zelly!" He said quickly, running off.

Zelda smiled and watched him go.

******

"Take a look at that pipsqueak over there."

"I'm surprised his mother let him out."

"Hey baby, where's your diaper?"

Peals of laughter followed that insult and Link's already dark blue eyes turned thunderous. He clenched his fists and reached for his sword. OK so the tournament hadn't started yet, but they were going to learn not to mess with the Hero of Time, whether he was seventeen years old or ten.

"I'm sorry, I'm going to have to confiscate that." A weedy voice said behind him.

Link turned around to see a small balding minister with a pot belly looking at his sword disapprovingly.

"Confiscate what?" He asked, using the wide eyed innocence routine that so regularly got him out of trouble. 

The last occasion he'd used it had been memorable. He and Zelda had whipped the guards into a frenzy by dropping water bombs then flour bombs onto their heads from the top of the gatehouse. They had escaped punishment by looking angelic as cherubs as they apologised, and because King Harkinian was laughing too much to punish them.

"I'm afraid your sword isn't regulation. You have to have wood."

"What?! That sucks!" Link exclaimed indignantly. "You call this fair? What's the point in fighting with a wooden sword?"

"Somebody could get hurt and we wouldn't want that would we?" The minister said in a patronising voice. "Now be a good boy and give it to me."

Link scowled and shook his head.

"I don't think so. I'll keep hold of it. You might trip over your robes and poke your eye out and we wouldn't want that would we?" Link mocked.

The minister looked offended, like an inflated blowfish.

"Your impertinence will get you into trouble sonny." He said crossly.

"I like trouble." Link said with a smile.

"What's the problem here?" Aidyn asked, appearing from nowhere. "Has he done something wrong?"

"Yes." The minister said, seeing Aidyn and recognising the famous general's son. "This _child won't hand over his sword."_

Link's scowl deepened at the emphasised 'child. '

"Why should he? If his parents think that he's capable of handling a sword then let him keep it. He won't use it in the tournament will you Link?"

Link shook his head.

"At least not until I fight you in the final."

The minister looked surprised and then burst out laughing.

"Ha ha! That'll be the day! Oh Aidyn m'boy, you give him one from me! Ha ha ha!"

He walked off laughing and as Link lunged after him, Aidyn stuck out his arm to hold him back.

"He wouldn't know the business end of a sword even if it was at his throat." He said with a smirk. "I hate the wooden sword rule too but we have to abide by it. If we both get to the final, I'm sure we can twist the judge's arm into letting us fight with iron."

Link smiled.

"You mean 'when' don't you?"

Aidyn laughed.

"You're right. When. Good luck in the archery Link."

"You too."

The other boys were laughing as soon as Aidyn was out of earshot.

"Cocky little brat!"

"Aww, da wittle baby won't give up his sword."

"He won't even make it past the archery."

Link gritted his teeth and took out his boy, checking the tension of his string. 

"Five targets, five arrows. Five hundred points at stake." He said to himself. "Cake."

******

"And our reigning champion scores five hundred points!" 

The applause for Aidyn was almost as loud as it had been for the winner of the adult section. Zelda applauded enthusiastically along with her father, who nudged Olaran in the side.

"That boy gets better every year. Nobody can match him."

Olaran beamed proudly.

"I wouldn't be so sure." He said, watching as the next contestant notched his arrow and let fly, missing the target completely. "That little boy seems to be fairly confidant."

"Which boy?" Harkinian asked, taking his attention from the action on the field. "The lad up now?"

Olaran shook his head.

"No, that boy... what did you say his name was Princess?"

"Link." Zelda replied, trying to keep the smile from her face as the third arrow embedded itself in the wrong target and the archer began to swear coherently.

"Link? But he's Zelda's age! Aidyn's got nothing to worry about." Harkinian chuckled. "Link indeed."

"Why must you always dismiss him because he's young?" Zelda snapped. "Link has skills that put all the guards to shame!"

Olaran and Harkinian looked at Zelda in surprise before Harkinian burst out laughing.

"Zelda I know that he's your friend but is that really neccessary?"

Zelda folded her arms and pouted, not replying. Harkinian smiled.

"Children today."

They returned their attention to the archery, where competitor after competitor notched up meagre scores. Zelda smirked. This was going to be way too easy.

"This is unfair!" A loud voice announced from the crowd. "The targets are too tall and they're standing too far away! This is a scam!"

Angry voices of complaint were raised and Harkinian stood up.

"I can assure you that the tournament has been constructed in such a way to ensure fairness to everyone. Olaran himself worked out the heights and distances..."

"Oh yes, just so his amazing son can win again!" The angry voice raised. "This is highly unfair!"

Zelda stood up beside her father, who gestured for her to sit down.

"Unless anyone would like to make an official complaint then I suggest we sit down and wait for the last competitor. Link, would you come out to take your turn please?"

Link came walking out with a determined look on his face and his bow slung over his shoulder. There was absolute silence until the laughter came.

"Poor little mite doesn't stand a chance!" 

"Oh don't humiliate the poor boy by making him shoot these targets."

Zelda frowned.

"Why don't they leave him alone!" She growled.

Link's face was furious and he reached for the first arrow amidst a mass of laughter. He notched it, regarded the target, double checked and then released his arrow.

Thud.

The laughter stopped.

An arrow quivered in the centre of the target.

"One hundred points!" The announcer cried, his voice shaking.

Link's expression slipped into a sly grin as he notched the second arrow and turned to the second target.

Thud.

"Two hundred points!"

There was a mass of whispering spreading throughout the audience and Zelda smiled with smug satisfaction at seeing their startled expressions. Link's grin remained in place as he let the third arrow fly.

"I don't... Three hundred points!"

Zelda turned to her father with a grin. Link was one hundred points ahead of the nearest competitor.

"You were saying father?"

Link's fourth arrow flew with deadly accuracy as it embedded itself in the target in exactly the same position as the last. This was getting repetitive.

Olaran was watching with interest as Link's final arrow hit dead centre of the target and the boy walked off with a calm face and his bow casually slung over his shoulder again. Zelda was beaming and her clapping was ecstatic and was quickly added to by a stunned audience. Harkinian was staring at the targets with disbelief.

"I don't quite know how ladies and gentlemen, but Link has scored five hundred points!"

All previous opinions on the tournament being fixed were now quashed.

******


	3. Olaran's Old Enemy

Disclaimer: Say it aint so! Legend of Zelda just aint mine!

A.N. Sorry to disappoint, but I don't think that a kamehameha is going to make an appearance, but there may be a big Din's Fire blast a bit later if you want. See what you reckon at the end of the chapter and add to your review. (Hee hee hee, effective author blackmail for reviews!) Oh yeah, if you don't like it being slightly Link-Zelda then tough!

Chapter 2: Olaran's Old Enemy

Now it came to pass that during his rise to fame, General Olaran had made many friends and a fair number of enemies, the most dangerous and slow witted of these being a giant pig-Moblin named Moreth. Moreth had been in command of a Moblin army that had attempted to invade Hyrule twenty years before our story began, when the young captain (as he was then) had been twenty two years old. In an attempt to get the army to surrender, Moreth had promptly kidnapped Harkinian's queen Cordelia and held her to ransom, only to have his leg crippled by Olaran upon her rescue and his army beaten by the substantially better organised Hylian force (led and organised by Olaran). You might be wondering what relevance this little Hylian history lesson holds. I'm just getting to that part.

During the time of the tournament, Moreth was in a worse mood than usual. He was getting old and his crippled leg was causing him grief again as it always did when he was cold, but worse still was the incessant chatter of his Moblins, discussing the events of the tournament.

"Yesh, thish ish very intereshting." One of them commented to those that could be bothered to listen to him. "They shay that there'sh only two peoplesh that got perfect scoresh in the archery yeshterday, and they wash boysh in the juniorsh."

"Really?" The mass queried.

"Yesh!" The storyteller continued. "Two boysh. One ish the shon of he who we can't shpeak about..."

Moreth had forbidden anyone mentioning Olaran's name on penalty of death.

"... And the other ish a fairy boy from the foresht."

Moreth's ears caught that and a grin spread across his black, gap toothed mouth.

"Moblinsh!" He snorted. "Prepare to march for Hyrule Cashtle! We will finish what we shtarted all thoshe yearsh ago!"

The Moblins lined up and bowed.

"Yesh mashter."

Moreth grabbed his giant club and swung it over his shoulder, marching out of his lair towards the castle with a swing in his limping step and followed by his mottely crew. Revenge was going to be sweet.

******

News of the two perfect scores in the archery had spread throughout the kingdom and the crowd had doubled somewhat. They all regarded the adult swordfights respectfully, but everyone was there for the juniors to catch sight of the famous general's son and the forest boy who had come out of nowhere to tie for the best archery score with a boy five years his senior. Bookmakers had sprung up out of nowhere and the odds of it being Link versus Aidyn in the final were at two to one. Zelda noted all this with a grin of satisfaction and noticed that all of the adult Sages (minus Rauru who was cooped up in the Chamber of Sages) were putting money on Link to win. Olaran on the other hand, had been acting strangely quietly since Link's performance. Zelda imagined that it was just sour grapes.

Link, despite his amazing archery score, was still not being taken seriously by the other boys. 

"He's a Kokiri, he must have bewitched it..."

"The arrows he was using had magnets in them and he fixed the targets."

"I'm sure I saw the targets move towards him..."

"Well he won't win the swordfights."

Link smiled and took hold of his wooden sword for the day. He snorted in disgust at it as it was too light and flimsy for his liking. How was it possible for him to issue any damage with this pathetic little thing?

Most of the morning he spent with Zelda, watching the adult competition while eating candied apples from the boughs of a tree. Zelda rolled her eyes as one of the incompetent castle guards tripped over his own feet and knocked his opponent flying.

"This is truly pathetic." She said, nibbling caramel from her treat. "Am I the only person alarmed that these numbskulls are responsible for my family's safety?

Link laughed.

"Yeah, but I'll show them how it should be done. I did yesterday and I'll do it today."

Zelda smiled at him and kissed his cheek, surprising him so that he nearly fell out of the tree.

"What did you do that for?" He asked indignantly.

Zelda looked embarrassed.

"Well I said I'd kiss you again if you won, and you _did win the archery..."_

Link laughed.

"I did didn't I?"

Zelda nodded.

"Looks like it."

Link laughed again.

"If I beat Aidyn, then I'm going to kiss _you."_

The princess blushed and looked at her feet.

"I'd like that." She said, playing with her mittens.

Link grinned and kicked his feet against the branch they were sitting on.

"Can I kiss you now?"

Zelda shook her head.

"No, you've got to win first."

Link frowned.

"Oh OK."

He was about to talk again until he suddenly saw something and nearly toppled out of the tree.

"No it's Ruto, hide me!" He yelped, scrambling further up the tree and behind one of the thick branches.

Zelda couldn't help but giggle and alerted her presence to the Zora princess. Ruto was wearing a golden circlet around her large head and a miniscule replica of her father's cape around her shoulders.

"Zelda, what are you doing up there? Have you seen my little Link? I've been looking all over for him..."

Zelda muffled her giggle and shook her head.

"No I haven't."

Ruto pouted and folded her arms.

"Well he'd better get here soon, he's supposed to fighting soon. And _I have to give him a kiss."_

Zelda didn't need to look up to see the horrified expression on Link's face.

"I'll tell him you're looking for him."

Ruto nodded her thanks and then spotted Epona.

"Ooh, I bet he's over there. Oh Lii-ink!"

Zelda giggled again and looked up at Link who was making a disgusted expression and forcing his fingers down his throat while making a gagging noise.

"If I have to marry that thing, I'm going to end up drowning myself." He muttered. "Either that or learn how to cook fish."

******

Olaran stood watching the Princess and her companion while they watched the finals of the duels. There was something about the little forest boy that had caught his attention and he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was about him that he found so familiar. The boy had proved that he was not to be underestimated, but Olaran couldn't help but wonder what more he had in store for the spectators.

"There you are, I was wondering where you got." Aidyn said, laughing as he saw his father staring at the tree. "What're you looking at?"

He looked up at the tree and smiled upon seeing the two children hidden in the branches.

"He's a pretty brave kid." He said approvingly, "I wouldn't be surprised if we fought in the final."

Olaran nodded.

"It's strange you know, but he reminds me of your mother when I first met her." He said wistfully. "She was just as determined as he was, and as aggressive."

Aidyn looked at his father in alarm, surprised at his sudden nostalgia.

"Dad?" He asked quietly. "Are you OK?"

Olaran nodded.

"I'm fine son, I sometimes get like this when I come back here."

Aidyn nodded, understanding what his father was saying.

"Is there anyone I should watch out for in the duels father?" He asked, trying to take his father's mind off his mother.

Olaran smiled at his son and put his hand on his shoulder.

"I won't know for sure until the draws have been made, but you should watch for Yoric, he's got a very strong offensive thrust and also Tristian, he wears you down before attacking, but you mustn't underestimate Voren..." 

Aidyn smiled to himself. That tactic never failed to get his father back to his normal self.

******

Two leather bags rested on a table and were the focus of the ten boys in the room. The fat, balding minister that Link had insulted, regarded all of the competitors as though he would really rather be somewhere else.

"You're all here because you ten scored highest on the archery yesterday..."

All eyes fell on Link, who was standing in one corner, and Aidyn who was standing in the other.

"In each bag are four numbered balls: the even numbers in the left and the odd in the right. You will all be represented by a number, but just in case you have forgotten your number I'll read them out again:

1- Aidyn

2- Forn

3- Yoric

4- Horeb

5- Pebo

6- Tristian

7- Voren

8- Link . Any questions?"

There were none.

"Right. I will draw each number and you will have your fights. There will be four fights, numbered one to four. The winner of fight one will battle against the winner of fight three and the winner of fight two will battle against the winner of fight four. The winners of those fights will go onto the final which will happen after the battle determining the third and fourth places. Everybody understand?"

The boys nodded.

"Right, here is the draw."

He plunged his hand into the left bag and then the right before reading the numbers on the balls.

"Fight one will be: 1 versus 6. Aidyn versus Tristian."

Link looked across at Aidyn, who nodded calmly and was shaking hands with a wiry ginger haired boy.

"Fight two, 4 versus 5. Horeb versus Pebo."

Horeb, who was stout and had a broken nose, grinned broadly at a rather nervous looking boy with mousy brown curls.

"Fight three, 2 versus 7. Forn versus Voren."

Voren and Forn turned out to be twins, and both laughed heartily.

"Which means that fight four will be Yoric versus Link..."

"Piece of cake!" Yoric yelled enthusiastically.

Link looked at the boy, who was built like a bull and had a face like the rear end of one.

"Yeah, for me that is." Link returned.

The others laughed, except Yoric.

"Pah! I'll have the squirt crying for his mommy."

Link narrowed his eyes and folded his arms across his chest.

"My mother's dead." He said stonily. "But do send my regards to yours when I send you whimpering back to her."

"She probably deserved it."

"What did you say?!" Link roared.

"Now boys." The minister said, intervening. "Save the aggression until the fight."

"With pleasure." Link said, spinning on his heel and walking out.

Aidyn glared at Yoric.

"You're lower than a worm." He said angrily. "I hope he beats you into the ground after what you said."

The others nodded in agreement, leaving Yoric looking gobsmacked in the middle of the room as Aidyn walked out to find Link.

The boy was standing beside Epona, looking at her and shaking.

"Are you OK Link?" Aidyn asked, fearing that the boy was crying.

Link turned around with an irate expression on his face, and the older boy could see that Link was actually shaking in anger.

"He shouldn't have said that about my mother. That's just going to make me humiliate him even more than I was going to."

"No he shouldn't have. It was unforgivable and the others agree with me."

"Great." Link muttered. "Now I have their pity and they won't want to fight me properly."

Aidyn laughed.

"If that's all you're worried about then you're very thick skinned. You don't need to worry about them not fighting you because they will, motherless or not."

"How do you know? It's not as though you have that problem."

"Actually I do." Aidyn said, putting his arm over Epona's withers. "My mother died when I was six."

Link said nothing and set about comforting Epona who was startled by Aidyn's sudden gesture.

"How old were you?" Aidyn asked, eager to break the awkward silence.

"Me? Oh, I dunno. I was a baby when she died. I didn't know that I even had a mother until a short time ago, the Kokiri don't have any parents."

"So how come you do?" Aidyn was curious to hear his story.

"'cause I'm not a Kokiri." Link said, flicking a strand of Epona's mane back over to the right side. "They're just my foster family."

He said it in a manner that meant he didn't want to talk about it any more.

"Listen, I've gotta get going, my fight's in a minute. If you need to talk..."

"I'll be fine Aidyn. Good luck."

Aidyn smiled at the smaller boy.

"I'm looking forward to fighting you in the final Link."

Link nodded. If both boys won all their fights, then they _would meet in the final, and it would be a fight worth watching._

Little did both boys know that they were going to have a tougher fight on their hands before they got that chance.


	4. Fight!

Disclaimer: Not mine, not mine, not mine

A.N. This chapter is dedicated to SS Psycho Link, who wants to know when this'll be finished. The answer is: I don't know yet, I haven't decided, but you will be the first to know. 

Chapter 3: Fight!

A heavy snow shower had followed the final of the senior tournament, leaving the battleground covered with a dusting of powdery white snow. Zelda had managed to escape from the Royal Tent and was watching the first fight with Link. Well, she was watching, Link wasn't.

"Aren't you paying attention to this? You'll need to study the opposition."

Link looked over his shoulder at the battle in the arena.

"Tristian is strong at defence but his attack is weak. Aidyn's not even trying."

Zelda squinted at the activity and frowned.

"How can you tell?"

Link shrugged.

"Just can. I know everything I need to know about Aidyn. He's right handed, right footed and flexes the fingers on his sword hand before he attacks."

Zelda looked over at the fight and noted all the things that Link said.

"Hey, you're right!"

Link blew a bit of stray hair away from his face.

"Well duh."

"There's no need to be like that." Zelda retaliated. "I'd never have looked at those sort of things."

"That's why I'm the Hero of Time and you're just a Sage."

"_Just a Sage? Aren't you forgetting Sage of Wisdom and Princess of Destiny there bucko?"_

Link smiled and turned to face the seething princess.

"Chill out Zelda, you've just missed Aidyn's victory."

His voice was partially cut out by the roar of the crowd. Tristian's sword was buried blade-down the middle of the arena and the loser was staring at it in disbelief. Aidyn offered him his hand, which he shook grudgingly.

"Gods that was quick!" Zelda gasped. "He didn't lose any ground at all!"

Link nodded.

"He didn't want to wear himself out for the final fight. It might not have been anything special, but he's certainly inherited his father's strategical prowess."

Zelda looked at him funnily.

"Link, you sound just like your grown up self when you start to talk like that."

Link shrugged again.

"Here come Horeb and Pebo." He said, sounding disinterested.

"Don't you want to watch this too?" Zelda asked, still surprised at his lack of interest. "'Cause when you beat Yoric you'll have to fight the winner."

Link shrugged.

"It'll be Pebo."

"Pebo?" 

Zelda stared at the nervous looking boy who clutched his sword awkwardly.

"Are you sure?"

Link nodded.

"Horeb looks slow and unfit, he'll be stopping for breath once things get a little more hectic."

"Makes sense I guess." Zelda said, chewing her bottom lip. "Who do you reckon will win out of the twins?"

"Too close to call."

"And who's going to win Link versus Yoric."

"Me!" Link said, his eyes narrowed to slits. "I'm going to humiliate him to the extent that he'll wish he'd never been born!"

"Why?" Zelda asked, looking at him anxiously.

"He said that my mother probably deserved to die!" Link yelled, not bothering to keep his voice down. "He'll regret that mistake for the rest of his life."

"I hope you're not going to do anything stupid." Zelda said in a tired voice.

"No, he's the stupid one, not me." 

"I can't believe how childish you sound." Zelda giggled.

Link folded his arms crossly.

"Whose fault is that? If _somebody hadn't sent me back then I wouldn't be a kid and I wouldn't be doing this stupid tournament in the first place!"_

"It's not my fault Ganondorf invaded the Sacred Realm!" Zelda said defensively. "How could you think that?"

"Yeah, but you were the one who made me open the Door of Time!"

"So you think everything's my fault do you?" Zelda asked, looking upset. "Well fine. See if I care. I'll be cheering Aidyn on when he beats your ass!"

Link looked hurt and stormed off, not saying another word and muttering under his breath. Zelda was quivering with hurt and anger, so much so that she failed to notice that Link's prediction came true.

******

Aidyn was busy checking his sword for weaknesses and splits when Link stormed into the tent, his face like a thundercloud.

"I'll show her, the stuck-up, peacock brained little co..."

"Trouble?" Aidyn asked.

Link jumped in surprise.

"I didn't know you were in here."

"What's up?" Aidyn persisted.

"Zelda thinks I'm childish."

"Well she is very mature for her age..." Aidyn said, not liking to hear anyone get a verbal assault when they weren't there to defend themselves.

"Yeah, and she's stuck up, self centered and completely unaware of the wishes of others. She _knew how much I wanted to ki... she knew that I didn't want to go back!"_

"Go back where?"

"Doesn't matter." Link said simply. "She knew that I didn't want to go and she made me. It's her fault nobody believes me."

Aidyn scratched his head.

"What don't they believe?"

Link raised his eyes to the heavens.

"You won't believe me either, so I'm just going to leave it until I'm old enough to prove to everyone that I am who I say I am."

"You're fight's about to start." Aidyn said helpfully, seeing Voren lift his brother up from out of the snow and dust him off.

Yoric entered the tent, grunting like a hog as he threw down his Wolfos skin cloak.

"So it's you is it short stuff? Not chickened out and run away to mommy? Oh yeah, mommy's dead."

Aidyn's eyes narrowed almost to the same extent as Link's.

"We will discuss your conduct later Yoric." He said icily. "If I were not so keen to see Link defeat you then I would have you disqualified..."

"Just 'cause your daddy's the judge doesn't mean you're the boss of me, pretty boy. I can understand why you'd wanna side with a motherless loser like him, you're part of the club aren't you?"

Aidyn clenched his fists and glared at the bigger youth.

"Link, you'll be late for your duel." He said, not taking his eyes off Yoric.

"Ooh, you're making me quiver!" Yoric mocked. "I'm so gonna love beating you two losers."

Link smiled to himself.

"Whatever you say."

******

"My money's on the older youth." Harkinian said, watching the two boys enter the ring. "Link's a great lad, but he's not going to be able to fell a sixteen year old lad with the strength of an ox."

Olaran shrugged.

"Size doesn't matter. Yoric's a tough one, no doubt about that, but he tends to let his ego get in the way."

Zelda sat in her seat, staring straight ahead and not saying a word.

"Who do you think is going to win this match Princess?" Olaran asked.

Zelda frowned.

"I'd like to say Yoric, but it'll be Link."

Harkinian laughed.

"You've changed your tune since yesterday haven't you?"

"Wouldn't you if a certain someone whose name I won't mention blamed you for something that wasn't your fault?"

Harkinian looked at Olaran.

"Have you got the faintest idea what she's saying?"

Olaran shrugged.

"Not the foggiest. Mind you, I've never had a daughter and Ariala wasn't a conventional woman."

Harkinian leant back against his throne and stretched.

"I think this should be quite a good fight to watch, not for entertainment purposes but purely to see how Zelda reacts when Link loses."

Zelda narrowed her eyes and looked at her father distainfully.

"Link's not going to lose. No matter how much I don't like him at the moment, he's still going to win the tournament."

******

A massive cheer went up as Link walked into the arena, and he blushed as he noticed Darunia, Nabooru, Malon and Ruto leading the cheers and waving flags. Ruto blew him a kiss, and Link turned away extremely quickly. 

"What's the matter? Baby too shy for the crowd?" Yoric scoffed.

Link glared at him and said nothing. He had an action plan already lined up for the upcoming two, possibly three battles, depending on how well he was faring. Nobody appeared to notice that he had swapped his sword hand from his left to his right.

"Are you going to stand there like a Re-Dead or are we gonna fight?" Link asked, noticing that Yoric appeared to have gotten stage fright.

Yoric snapped out of his trance.

"A what?"

"Never mind." Link said, realising that Yoric had never seen a Re-Dead and wouldn't know one even if it had jumped onto his back and started sucking the life out of him.

Yoric drew his sword and bowed with a flourish to the king, as was customary. Link almost smiled when he saw Zelda's disgusted look as the youth winked at her, but then remembered that they weren't talking and kept his face deadpan as he bowed.

"Fight!"

Yoric began to circle, waving his sword in front of him.

"That place next to the king is as good as mine! And I get to sit next to the princess too." Yoric laughed.

His voice was muffled by the roar of the crowd. Link rolled his eyes.

"What's so great about that?"

He jumped out of the way as Yoric lunged at his belly.

"Stupid kid. The princess is a babe, and babes dig the tough guy." He said, as though it was about the most obvious thing in the world.

Link saw red and blocked one of Yoric's lunges with his sword.

"She's also ten years old." He retorted.

"Ten years old, never been kissed..." 

Yoric had gone of into a little fantasy world which Link quite frankly found disturbing beyond belief. He took his chance and landed three consecutive hits on the wooden blade Yoric was holding. Link frowned, as chips of wood flew. Had he been using iron, that sword would have been toast.

"Nice try, brat." Yoric hissed, charging at Link with his sword at chest height.

Link blocked and forced the older boy back.

"As if you'd stand a chance with Zelda." Link scoffed. "The Royal family don't marry outside their species, and I think you're the ugliest toad I've ever seen."

Yoric yelled and charged, nearly losing his footing on an icy stone concealed beneath the snow.

"You don't stand a chance either, motherless loser. I'll bet your mother was as big a wuss as you are, and that's why she died."

Link gritted his teeth in fury and then leapt at him, his sword raised high in the air. With a yell, he brought it crashing down onto Yoric's sword and watched as it spun out of the boy's hand and landed at his feet. As Yoric reached for the sword, he saw a brown Kokiri boot standing firmly on the hilt and felt something cold and wooden underneath his chin. He looked up into the seething face of his adversary and felt his blood chill as he stared into the midnight blue eyes that were glaring at him.

"You don't know anything about my mother." Link said, his chest heaving and his voice shaking to prevent it from breaking into a rage. "She died so that I could live, so if you've got something more to say about her then just try it, cause I've got a real sword in the scabbard on my back that I'm not afraid to use."

On the back of Link's left hand, unnoticed by virtually everyone, the Triforce symbol burned brightly in correspondence with its holder's anger.

From her seat in the Royal Box, Zelda felt her right hand tingle and looked down at her Triforce mark which was glowing gold. She quickly covered it with her mittens, anxious for no-one to see it. Whatever was going on in the arena, it was getting Link worked up enough to activate his Triforce and that in turn caused hers to respond. It also gave the game away that he was fighting with his weak hand as she distinctly remembered his Triforce hand as being the one he held his sword with. She smiled. Even if she didn't like him at the moment, she had to give him credit for his tactics. Aidyn and his opponents would be drawing up an action plan to defeat a right-handed Link, and in the middle of the fight he would swap to left and take everybody by total surprise and therefore enable to gain him an easy victory.

"That was quite a fight." Harkinian said, applauding eagerly. "I think that your friend will grow up to be quite a fine swordsman, Zelda."

Zelda smiled to herself.

_If only they knew..._


	5. Twin Antics

Disclaimer: Bon Anné! Happy New Year and all that other nonsense! Oh yep, still not owning Zelda.

A.N: This chapter is dedicated to Liz, who knows what Aidyn looks like better than I do.

Chapter 4:Twin Antics

"Link! Hey Link!"

Zelda ran up to her victorious friend, breathing heavily.

"Look, I'm sorry about what I said earlier."

"Hrn."

Link pretended not to notice that she was there and went back to inspecting his sword.

"You're going to leave everyone standing and everyone will eat their words."

"Hrn."

Zelda sighed in exasperation and then grinned. She walked up behind him and kissed him on the cheek. He jumped a mile and spun around, his cheeks bright red.

"Wh..what was that for?!" He spluttered.

Zelda giggled.

"You won, silly. That deserved another kiss."

Link pouted and folded his arms.

"I was supposed to kiss you that time." He muttered.

"No you weren't. _You don't get to kiss__ me until you win outright."_

"But I don't like you anymore." Link said stubbornly.

"Oh shut up." Zelda laughed. "I'm sorry I said those things and you're not immature in any shape or form of the word. And if anything was anyone's fault it was Ganondorf's."

"I suppose so."

"Friends?" Zelda asked, offering Link her hand.

"Friends." Link replied, taking it.

Now that everything was settled, the pair made their way to their tree to watch Aidyn's fight against Voren, the winning twin. Perched up in the branches, they got the best view of the whole tournament and nobody bothered to scramble up into the branches with them so they could talk as freely as they wanted.

"Aidyn will win this one." Link said, swinging his feet.

"I'm not going to disagree with you." Zelda agreed, offering him a bagful of candied orange peel which he eagerly accepted and started to nibble on.

"Voren looks quite a good opponent." Link said thoughtfully, licking sugar from his lips.

"I wonder where the other brother is?" Zelda pondered.

"Hunh?"

Zelda put her sweets back into her pocket and chewed her lip thoughtfully.

"Well, his family's over there, you can see the resemblance, but Forn isn't there."

Link squinted over her shoulder and spied the group of five people, a man, woman and three little girls.

"I see what you mean..."

******

Aidyn stretched out his fingers before grabbing his wooden sword and heading out to the arena. He took a deep breath and watched his breath freeze as he walked through the snow. The applause he was greeted with was as rapturous as it had always been for his father all those years before. Voren followed him out, grinning broadly and waving at his family. As a dignified and experienced competitor, Aidyn offered his opponent his hand, which Voren shook, still grinning.

"Good luck." Aidyn said.

"You too." Voren said, trying to keep his face straight.

"Fight!"

Voren was first off the mark, making to lunge at Aidyn towards the left and then changing his mind at the last minute to lunging to the right. Aidyn smiled to himself and leapt out of the way.

_Cunning. No wonder Dad warned me about him, Aidyn thought to himself. __Well, I'll have to show him that I'm not my father's son for nothing._

Aidyn sidestepped to the left, chanelling Voren with him. He feined ducking to the right, succeeded in drawing Voren the way he wanted him to go and then attacked, aiming a powerful blow straight at the wooden blade of his opponent's sword. He felt the boy's grip falter momentarily before he sturdied himself. They moved around the arena, their swords clacking rhythmically and being accompanied by cheers and applause. Voren began to falter and then paused.

"Hey Aidyn." He asked, breathing heavily. "Do you mind if I go get a drink? Only I have a bit of a breathing problem you see, allergic to dust."

"Sure, go ahead." Aidyn said, calling for a time out.

Voren walked off, much to the confusion of the crowd, in particular the two little spies in the tree.

"Now where is he going?" Link asked, leaning out of the tree to follow him and nearly toppling headfirst out of the branches.

Zelda leaned out too, slightly more discreetly.

"It seems he's gone inside for something, though Nayru only knows what. He seemed out of breath though, maybe he's gone to get a drink."

Link chewed his bottom lip thoughtfully.

"If it were me, I wouldn't have let him go. Aidyn had a good rhythm going there, breaking it may cost him the match."

"Oh come on, Aidyn could beat him standing on his head." Zelda laughed. "He'll get the rhythm back."

Link looked at her curiously.

"What?"

"You like him don't you?" 

"What are you talking about?" Zelda asked.

Link grinned.

"You _like Aidyn."_

"Of course I like him, he's like a brother to me and... oh grow up!" Zelda snapped, understanding Link's hint after previously missing it.

"Zelda and Aidyn, sitting in a tree..." Link chorused, forgetting the fact that _he was the one in that situation and not the boy in the ring._

"I wonder where Ruto is." Zelda interrupted.

Link's face paled.

"You wouldn't."

"I would."

"You... Voren's back." Link said, eager to get Zelda's mind back on the match and off a certain amphibian princess.

Aidyn had taken up his fighter's stance again and waited for Voren to do the same.

"Feeling better?" He inquired.

"Hunh? Oh yeah, thanks mate." Voren replied.

Aidyn noticed that he didn't look at all out of breath now, but didn't have time to reflect as Voren began his assault again and took the reigning champion by surprise. He began with a strong lunge to the left, as Aidyn had expected he didn't change direction or anything. As the fight wore on, Aidyn was becoming increasingly more confused as Voren seemed to be completely full of energy.

_Where's he getting all this energy from? I'm still recovering from the first round and it's as though he's changed his complete attack style, like he's using brawn instead of brains...He thought. __Well, if that's his game then two can play._

Aidyn attacked with brute force, using his greater altitude to accumulate speed with fierce downward swipes. Just as he was beginning to get the upper hand however, Voren began to breathe heavily again and called for a time out.

"Sorry Aids, but I gotta go get another drink." He panted. Do you mind?"

"If you must." Aidyn replied, wiping his hands on his pants. "But make it quick OK?"

"OK." Voren said, grinning before running off to the tent again.

Aidyn watched as his opponent ran back to the tent, irritated at the interruption to the battle. To pass time, he looked at Voren's bootprints in the snow. It looked at though the right boot had been through the wars, as there was a large chunk of the heel missing that was easily visible by looking at the print.

"Why's he gone again?" Zelda pondered from the tree. "Do you suppose he's incontinent or something?"

Link shrugged.

"Dunno. Aidyn's gotta be pretty mad though."

Voren reappeared, looking much more healthy and then smiled.

"Sorry, I really should clean my room when I get home."

"Can we get on with it please?" Aidyn said irritatedly, "Only this stopping and starting business isn't going to do our muscles much good."

"Sure, sure." Voren said cheerfully.

This time, Aidyn made the first move, attacking with brute strength. Voren grinned, sidestepped and neatly parried the blow. Not the sort of move Aidyn had been expecting.

_He's gone stategic again and is taking advantage! Aidyn thought. __Man, I never thought it was going to be this tough, I'm gonna have to predict what sort of tactic he's taking before he even attacks. But why in the name of the Gods is he still so energetic?_

So Aidyn chose strategy too and began to fight back. Once again, just as it seemed that Aidyn was getting the upper hand, Voren called for a time out.

"I am so sorry, this is definitely the last time." Voren began.

Aidyn was relieved for a chance to catch his breath.

"It had better be." He panted.

Voren ran off, and Aidyn watched him go. He suddenly spotted something and his eyes widened before a little smile spread across his lips.

"He knows something that we don't." Link said, spotting Aidyn's smile. "I think this fight's almost over."

"Hadn't you better get ready?" Zelda asked. "You're up next remember."

They climbed down the tree and made their way to outside the competitor's tent, arriving just as Voren appeared back in the ring.

"Better?" Aidyn asked, wearing a grin that could compete with Voren's.

"Yeah." Voren said. "Ready?"

"You bet." 

Voren took first lunge, but Aidyn jumped back and tumbled into the snow. The crowd gasped, even more so when Voren made a violent vertical cut down in Aidyn's direction. Quick as a flash, Aidyn sprung up and with a flick of his wrist he knocked the opposing sword upwards and out of the weak grip being held on it. The sword flew through the air and landed in the snow next to Aidyn's feet. The fight was over and the applause was thunderous.

"Nice try Voren, or is it Forn?"

Forn gasped and looked up at him in total amazement.

"How did you..?"

Aidyn smiled and handed him back his sword.

"Little things like total change in attack styles, limitless energy and a missing chunk of boot that you appear to have and your brother doesn't."

"Rats, thwarted by a greater mind!" Forn laughed. "You don't mind do you?"

Aidyn laughed too.

"No, it was fun. I almost wish my little brother had been a twin, then I might have used the same trick."

"Oh man, you mean we'll have to contend with Aidyn Jr next year?" Forn groaned. "Me and Voren don't stand a chance!"

Aidyn sighed as they headed back to the tent.

"Hardly likely, my little brother died when he was a year old."

******

Pebo stared at his younger opponent with mixed emotions. Should he laugh at the little kid or should he feel sorry for him? He'd lost his mother after all... But look at how aggressive he looks...

"If you're feeling sorry for me then forget it. I'll know if you're not fighting to your full potential." Link said, knowing what the older boy was thinking. "And don't think that I'm gonna thank you if you deliberately let me win, there's no sense or honour in that kind of fight."

Link had a sudden flashback of him making a similar speech.

_Don't think I'm gonna let you get away with this. There is no honour in what you've done to this land and its people Ganondorf, and I swear upon the graves of all those people that you've killed that I will stop you._

Somehow, Pebo hardly seemed to resemble a megalomaniac of Gerudo origin hell-bent on world domination. He didn't exactly deserve to be given a speech on honour and the slightly disbelieving look that he was giving the ten year old was perfectly understandable. Not many people expected to hear the words of a vengeful seventeen year old Hero of Time escape from the mouth of his ten year old former self.

"Um, OK." Pebo muttered.

"So let's fight then." Link said, waiting for the command.

"Fight!"

Pebo attacked first, giving it his all. Link had seen his fight with Horeb and knew his style, and it led a lot to be desired. One good, hard knock with his sword at the tip of Pebo's sword should do the trick, even when using his weaker right hand. Link could tell that very little control or stability was held on that part of the weapon by his opponent. If he could bide his time...

"Link's got this one in the bag." Aidyn told his father as they watched from the tent.

"He certainly has." Olaran said approvingly. "I hope you've studied his style from previous fight."

"To tell you the truth  Dad, I hadn't. I didn't really think he'd get this far." Aidyn admitted.

"Well, what can you tell me so far?"

"He adapts to his opponent, which is tricky cause that's my tactic." 

"True."

"But in saying that, he doesn't really seem to be trying, and while it's impressive, he handles his sword rather clumsily, almost like he isn't used to it. I'd put that down to his unfamiliarity with wooden swords."

"I've spoken to the other judges." Olaran said, keeping his eyes on the fight as Pebo kept attacking Link and meeting either air, snow or wood in defensive positioning. "They won't allow iron swords unless you can prove that you're both competent with them... oh, that was a good move, I haven't seen that one pulled off so efficiently for a long time."

Link had somehow managed to completely baffle Pebo and the result had been Link appearing on his left hand side when he'd been looking at his right and had batted away the wooden sword as though it had been nothing. The crowd had gone wild, and Zelda was cheering louder than the rest. Everyone was on the edge of their seats, knowing what was coming next:

Aidyn versus Link.

******

For those that are interested and know what I'm talking about, I found the floppy disk: It was taking refuge in my coat pocket along with my Gameboy which had been stolen by my brother. His punishment has yet to be decided.


	6. Link vs Aidyn (round 1)

Disclaimer: Legend of Zelda isn't mine. It's depressing, but I'm learning to handle my grief…

Chapter 5: Aidyn vs Link (part one)

A.N: I'd like to apologise to SS_4 Psycho Link for calling him SS Psycho Link. Sorry!_

Moreth looked at the sight before him and snorted.

"Mashter, ish thish Hyrule Cashtle?" One of the Moblins asked.

Moreth nodded.

"Yesh. Get the othersh ready, we're going to shteal the Queen again and then we're going to hurt Olaran shomething chronic!"

"Yesh Shir!"

Moreth chuckled and limped down the hillside, his club swinging. He could picture the look on the pretty queen's face, blissfully and totally unaware of the fact that there was no longer a queen living in Hyrule Castle and in her place as the highest ranking Hylian female in the kingdom there resided a young Sage of Wisdom, whose best friend was the Hero of Time. 

******

Link took a quick drink from an offered beaker, oblivious to the pats on the back he was receiving and the withering looks from Yoric, Horeb and various other competitors who had failed to get through to the duels.

"Link m'boy well done!"

Darunia's booming voice filled the tent as the Goron chief appeared and heartily clapped his young comrade on the back. Link's knees buckled under the force.

"Thanks Darunia."

"You looked so handsome Link, just like a God." Ruto swooned.

Link felt extremely disturbed by this comment, as well as seeing the look in Ruto's eyes that resembled something that looked worryingly like unbridled passsion. He swallowed nervously.

"Hey Link, you did great!" Malon giggled. "I'm sorry I didn't belive you earlier."

"Hrn." Link responded, folding his arms.

"Kid, you knock 'im dead." Nabooru said proudly. "He might be mighty cute and very good with a sword but you're better, in both departments come seven years time."

_What is this, Sages hit on Link day? Link pondered. __I don't object to the kisses that Zelda's rewarding me with, but Ruto and Nabooru? Gah!_

"Five minutes!" The balding, blowfish minister announced.

Link finished his drink and made his way to the exit.

"I'm going to get some fresh air." He said by means of an explanation.

He stood out in the snow, breathing deeply and looking around at the hustle and bustle. This would be the last time he'd look at it before he was crowned champion and quite frankly he couldn't be more relaxed about it.

"Link, can I have a word?"

Link spun around to see General Olaran looking at him with some interest.

"Sure, but I've only got five minutes."

Olaran nodded and walked, indicating that Link should follow him. They paused behind the Royal Box and Olaran began to speak.

"I've been watching your fights." He began. "And I want to know where you learnt it."

"Learnt what?" Link asked, genuinely confused.

"Learnt how to fight. Everyone learns from someone and I wondered where it was that you did."

Link shrugged.

"Taught myself. Picked up a sword, stuck it into some Stalkids..."

"Stalkids? There haven't been any Stalkids in Hyrule for over ten years!" Olaran mused. "I'm merely curious to know where you learnt how to fight."

"I told you: I taught myself. It's as simple as that."

Olaran looked at the boy in disbelief.

"In that case then you are a phenomenon that has not been seen in Hyrule since mythology." He chuckled. "But in any case lad, I'd like to put a proposition to you."

He looked at the boy again, at his young and eager face with its startling midnight blue eyes and got another stange feeling of deja vu. 

"I'd like to offer you further training. It would involve you returning to my home with me and Aidyn after the tournament and staying there until the training is complete."

Link's jaw dropped.

"Training?"

"For free, but only if you want it."

"For real? You want to train _me?"_

Olaran nodded.

"I certainly would be interested. You've got potential, I'd be interested to see where that potential could take you."

He smiled.

"Quite frankly lad, I've been looking for a new student for a while. Aidyn's growing up and he'll be leaving home before I know it, probably getting married and having children of his own and I'll be left alone again."

He sighed heavily and leant against the tent.

"I think you could be just what I'm looking for. All I ask is that you think about what I'm offering."

Link looked up at the general and nodded.

"I'll think about it." He said.

"I hope you will. Good luck, I'll be rooting for you but don't tell my son."

Link laughed.

"I won't."

******

Link and Aidyn walked out into the arena, one tall and proud, the other small and prouder.

"So. Here we are." Aidyn smiled. "Just like you said."

"Are you surprised." Link replied, smiling back.

Neither looked at one another, they just walked with their heads held high and their eyes straight ahead.

"Should we give the audience what they want?"

"We'll give them their money's worth." Link replied.

They got to the centre of the ring and bowed to one another before shaking hands. Link almost forgot his plan and nearly offered his left, but realised his mistake before he made it.

"At last, I get some worthy opposition." Link smiled.

"Same to be said here." Aidyn replied. "Shall we start this?"

"Ready and waiting." Link replied, taking his wooden sword.

"Pity we couldn't use iron." Aidyn said. "My father tried, didn't work."

"Well there's always next year. Once I've beaten you then I'm gonna try the senior tournament next year."

"You'll be fighting me again then."

"Fight!" The announcer called.

"You heard the gentleman Link."

"I certainly did."

Both boys attacked at the same time, with the younger making a savage cry of aggression. Their wooden swords met and the boys were at stalemate in the centre. The crowd held their breath and applauded wildly as the boys sprung back from one another.

"Man I hate fighting with wood!" Link growled.

"Me too." Aidyn replied. "Maybe we should have a rematch with iron later, what do you say?"

"Sounds good to me, but then again beating you twice would be twice as much fun!"

As he spoke, Link made a horizontal cut to Aidyn's belly, only to have it missed as he dodged.

"Close but not close enough." Aidyn laughed, lunging back.

"OLARAN!"

Both boys stopped dead as the mighty bellow echoed around the grounds of the tournament. The crowd were totally silent until the biggest Moblin Link had ever seen appeared in the arena, his eyes wild and furious. The audience's silence turned to terrified screams.

"OLARAN, WHERE ARE YOU?!" The Moblin roared.

"What in the name of the Triforce is that and how does it know my father?" Aidyn asked, totally bewildered.

"Moblin." Link muttered.

Moreth heard Aidyn's question and turned to the two boys in the arena.

"Sho, you are Olaran'sh shon are you?" He asked, rounding upong Aidyn. "Well where'sh your daddy?"

"Right here wart face." 

Olaran jumped down from the Royal Box, tossing aside his scabbard and holding his sword with both hands.

"Step away from those boys if you know what's good for you Moreth."

Moreth laughed unintimidated.

"Sho, we meet again general." He snorted, regarding Olaran with malice. "I owe you from shlicing my leg. Where'sh my property?"

Link suddenly noticed that King Harkinian was looking nervous and was holding onto his daughter.

"Queen Cordelia isn't here anymore Moblin, go back to where you came from." Olaran snapped.

Moreth laughed.

"Not until I get shome revenge!"

As he spoke, dozens of Moblins appeared from nowhere, waving spears and trying to look aggressive. The audience scattered, screaming wildly while the castle guards appeared instantaneously and made feeble attempts to get rid of them. Link threw aside his wooden weapon and pulled the Kokiri sword from its scabbard.

"They wanna rumble then they've got a fight on their hands."

Aidyn had followed suit and had drawn his sword.

"You said it."flew at the first Moblin he saw with a loud battle cry before hacking and slashing at it until it toppled and fell, evaporating in a puff of green smoke. The slayer regared the blue monster blood on his blade and smiled.

"Just like old times."

Nabooru, seeing the battle that had broken out, smiled and tapped Darunia on the shoulder.

"Should we wait for our illustrious leader to give the command or should we go fight anyway?"

Darunia grinned broadly, cracking his knuckles.

"Haven't had a good fight for a while now." He laughed, before curling up into a ball and cannonballing himself into the nearest invader.

Nabooru drew a curved scimitar from underneath her cloak.

"You never know."

Zelda watched the battling and felt a sudden surge of anger well up inside her. Before her father could react, she had jumped out into the arena and had charged up a magic orb. Moreth was too busy trying to avoid the predatory Olaran to notice the small girl sneaking up behind him with her small hands glowing gold.

"Hey ugly!" She called, alarmed at how shrill her voice sounded.

Just as Moreth turned, he felt a stinging blast hit his back. He howled in pain and then spotted the little princess.

"Little bug." He snorted. "She'sh not worth my time."

"Back off pork chop, you're way past well done!" Zelda challenged. 

It was then that the Moblin leader spotted the striking resemblence between Princess Zelda and the young queen he had abducted all those years before.

"Well well well, looksh like we've got a little princessh!" Moreth chuckled. "Fieshty little thing ish'nt she?"

Moreth swung his club and knocked the wind out of Olaran, who he grabbed and tossed over his shoulder. Zelda gasped in fright as the Moblin made his advance on her.

"I'm warning you!" Zelda growled, backing up and calling for another energy orb.

What she didn't see was the Moblin that had snuck up behind her that decided to grab her while she wasn't looking.

"HYAH!" Link yelled, disposing of another monster and pulling his sword clear.

"Lemme go! Help!"

He spun on his heel as he heard Zelda's distressed cry, as did Aidyn.

"Zelda!"

"Dad!"

Moreth laughed.

"I'll be taking my prizesh now. Don't any of you pipshqueaks try to shtop me! Mwa ha ha ha ha!"

He marched off with Olaran slung over his shoulder and Zelda tucked underneath his arm. Link's eyes narrowed.

"Hey dungbreath!" He yelled hoarsely.

Moreth stopped and turned around.

"That's right, I'm talking to you!" Link continued, marching towards him. "You'd better let them go or you'll wish you'd never been born."

Moreth was laughing so much that Zelda feared he was going to be sick.

"You? You're challenging me!"

Link nodded.

"That's right, I am. And if you don't like it, then you better come and tell it to my face."

Aidyn grabbed hold of Link's arm.

"Link this is serious, this isn't just some game! This guy's playing for keeps!"

Link pulled his hood down firmly onto the top of his head and narrowed his eyes.

"Well so am I."


	7. Here Piggy Piggy Piggy Piggy

Disclaimer: Legend of Zelda isn't mine. That's how it is, and how it was, and how it alwaaaaaaaaaaaaaays shall be! (Apologies to those who have not seen the Slipper and the Rose and haven't got the foggiest idea what I'm going on about ^_^)

Chapter 6: Here Piggy piggy piggy piggy!

A.N. I know what you're all thinking. I am an evil person and I should be skinned alive for leaving the story so long without an update, particularly on a cliffhanger. Well, allow me to make an excuse for myself. I've been cramming all week because I've had exams every day this week and since last Thursday and they won't be finished until Tuesday. If you think that's harsh, try sitting Physics and Maths exams on the same day. Yeuch!

As Moreth advanced on Link, snorting loudly, the young Hero suddenly realised something that he'd neglected to remember while making his challenge.

_You fight him and then everyone will know you're a lefty._

Link pondered this for a moment until Moreth was bearing down on him, trying to look menacing. Zelda was looking nervous, as well as physically repulsed.

"You're challenging me?" Moreth repeated.

Link glared at him.

"What are you stupid as well as ugly?" He spat.

Moreth handed Zelda and Olaran to one of his Moblins and knelt to have a better look at his opponent.

_Maybe I could use both hands... Yeah, that'll work!_

"Are you a chicken now, Cucco brain?" Link taunted. "Scared the little runt's going to kick your ass?"

Moreth laughed.

"I'll shquash you like a bug!"

He reached out to grab the boy, but was temporarily blinded by a flash as a Deku Nut made contact with the ground. Link had flipped out of the way at the last moment and was poking his tongue out at him.

"Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah ner!" His teased, running out of the arena so that the Moblin would follow him out of the reach of innocent people.

"Little brat!" Moreth bellowed, limping along and hopping mad.

_Ah, he's got a limp, Link noticed. __Perfect._

He reached for his slingshot and prepared a Deku Seed, letting fly into the pad of the Moblin's injured foot.

"OWWWW!"

"Bullseye." Link praised himself.

"I'm gonna tear you to piecesesh!

Link laughed and then checked his surroundings. Not too far from the field, but then again far enough away for the fight to get dirty and not have to worry about people. Moreth was a fair bit behind, giving Link time to draw up an action plan.

_How did I handle these guys outside the Forest Temple? Hookshotted them in the backside, but that won't work because I don't have that anymore. Arrows from the top of the stairs? Nope, haven't got that either. Sword? Now you're talking!_

"What took you so long?" Link laughed, flying at the huge pig monster with a vicious double handed swipe. 

He caught the monster on the shin and was satisfied to hear it groan in agony.

"You're sho dead!" Moreth bellowed, bringing his club down to the ground with a thud.

The earth shook and knocked Link down with a surprised yelp.

"I forgot about that... woah!"

He rolled out of the way as Moreth bought the club crashing down just inches from his head.

"You know, you really should go to some anger management courses, you'd make a much nicer hot-dog that way."

"What ish it with you bratsh and comparing ush to food? Have you got no toleransh for our feelingsh?" Moreth wailed.

Link took his chance and brought the hilt of his sword crashing down onto Moreth's injured foot with a determined stab.

"Nope, guess not!"

Moreth howled in pain and started hopping about, yelling obscenities and squealing.

"Now, what say you we finish this?" Link said, feigning boredom.

"It'sh not over until you go shcreaming to your mother!"

"My mother's dead!" Link yelled, slashing Moreth across his hand.

"Yikesh!" Moreth yelled, looking at Link in terror and then at his left hand, which was glowing gold with the light of his Triforce piece. "You're Link!"

"That's right, and you should be honoured that you're going to the Evil Realm as a result of tangling with me." Link replied, jump-attacking him.

_How in Farore's name does he know who I am? Link asked himself. _

"Before I send you to the other side, how do you know me?"

Moreth kneeled on the ground, panting heavily.

"Everyone knowsh of the hero who defeated Ganon. They know that Ganon killed hish mother sho that he might die."

Link struggled to keep his anger bottled up inside him. Moreth saw this and smiled to himself, hiding the expression from his opponent.

"Ganondorf killed my mother?" Link whispered, scarcely believing what he was hearing.

"It'sh a pity that you shent him to the Evil Realm." Moreth mused. "Becaushe now he won't be able to shee me deshtroy you!"

Quick as a flash, Moreth grabbed Link in his massive hand and began to squeeze.

"Ahh!"

"I'll shqueeshe the life out of you, Hero of Time!"

Link felt the agonising pain grip at him, and when he heard a sickening crunch he knew that one or more of his ribs had been broken. He struggled in the Moblin's grasp, but the more he did so the tighter the beast held on. He cried out again, only this time his cries were heard.

"Holy Nayru, Link!"

"Link!"

Aidyn ran onto the scene with Zelda in tow, having dispatched the Moblin that had captured her. Aidyn ground to a halt, spotting what was going on.

"Put him down!" Zelda yelled, charging up an orb.

Moreth looked over at the pair of them, smiling evilly.

"Wait your turnsh."

Zelda was about to let go of her magic orb when Aidyn put his hand up in an indication to stop her.

"This is your last warning." He said. "Put him down now or suffer the consequences."

Moreth squeezed harder.

"AHH!"

"Do something!" Zelda cried.

Aidyn leapt into the air and brought his sword swiftly down in a diagonal swipe across the Moblin's back. Moreth squealed in pain, spun around and walloped Aidyn in the stomach, dropping Link in the process who fell to the ground like a rag doll. 

"Link, are you OK?" Zelda asked, kneeling beside him.

Link opened one eye.

"There's a fairy in my..."

Zelda pulled a glass bottle with a fairy from Link's weapon pouch and uncorked the bottle. It flew around Link's battered and bruised body before flying off somewhere. He sprang up, brushing the snow from his tunic and grabbing his sword from the floor.

"Alright! Zel, give Aidyn some red potion and get out the vicinity."

He tossed a bottle at her containing some potion which she caught nimbly.

"What are you going to do?"

Link smiled.

"This piece of pork needs roasting."

Zelda nodded and rushed to Aidyn's side, administering potion and then running out of the area with him following behind. Link watched them run and then turned his attention back to Moreth, his expression sour. The Moblin was about ready to run after them, but Link had other ideas.

"This is between you and me Moreth." He said darkly. "Leave my friends out of it."

Moreth snorted with laughter and towered over him.

"Sho I'll jusht have to shquash you again, Fairy Boy!"

Link smiled.

"Maybe. Send my regards to Ganon."

Moreth charged at him but stopped short as he saw exactly what Link was doing. He made as though he was going to throw something. Another Deku Nut. Moreth laughed and covered his eyes, fully prepared for a blinding flash of light. Nothing happened. When Moreth looked again, Link brought his hand over the top of his head and brought it down to the ground.

"HYAH!"

******

The massive fireball engulfed the area and several of the watching townsfolk gasped in horror, many screamed and the fat lady with her dog promptly fainted. 

"What in the name of all things sacred is that?" King Harkinian asked.

Olaran, who was groggily sipping a warm beaker of tea and being attended to by healers, looked up at the scene. His eyes widened in surprise.

"It's a fireball of some kind. I had no idea that Moreth had that amount of power!"

He struggled to get up and then fell back down again, groaning as badly bruised stomach hurt him.

"Save your strength man." Harkinian told him.

"But Aidyn's over there..." He complained.

"Dad!"

Olaran and Harkinian looked up and saw Aidyn running over to them, his face flushed and his hair plastered to his forehead with sweat. Somehow Olaran found the strength to get up and embrace his son, holding him tight.

"Dad, please." Aidyn said, squirming out of his grasp. "We've got to do something, Link's taking on Moreth alone."

"What?"

"Where's Zelda?" Harkinian asked, noticing that his daughter wasn't with the elder boy.

She was a fair distance away from the fairground, looking at the damage caused by the fireball. It was phenomenal, the snow had all melted leaving a vast circular area of burnt grass and brown dirt, and many of the leaves on the nearby trees had been singed off and the trunks blackened.

"If that was what I think it was, then he went all out on the magic power he used." She whispered.

She heard a small laugh and spotted Link standing in the middle of the ring of burnt grass, laughing to himself almost maniacally. 

"Link?" She asked, approaching him cautiously.

He turned around and smiled at her.

"What was that? What did you do?"

Link smiled.

"Din's Fire."

"No way, that was way too powerful to be Din's Fire." Zelda argued.

"Nuh uh, it was." Link retorted. "And you know the funny thing?"

"What?"

"It really roasted him!"

Zelda shot him a sideways look.

"You know, I think you've inhaled a little too much smoke."

Link shook his head.

"Nope, it's just that I've proved what you and I already knew."

"What's that?"

"I'm the best warrior in Hyrule. I toasted a Moblin that not even Olaran could defeat."

Zelda smiled.

"Link, you amaze even me sometimes. C'mon, let's go see if any permanent damage was done, although I think you may have bashed your head..."

Link smiled.

"I can assure you Princess that my head is just fine." He said solemnly. "Although I believe I am owed something."

"What's that?" Zelda asked.

Link tapped his cheek with a blue bloodstained finger (the result of much Moblin killing).

"You never kissed me for when I beat Pebo."

Zelda rolled her eyes and gave him a playful shove.

"You are impossible." She said fondly. "I hope your hormones calm down before we hit puberty otherwise you'll be a nightmare!"

"Puberty?"

"I'll explain it to you later." She smirked. "Right now, you have a tournament to win..."

******

"But General Olaran sir..."

"No buts." Olaran told the blowfish minister. "I believe that both of these boys are fully capable of not only handling iron swords efficiently and safely but have enough competence to enable the safety of their opponent."

Link and Aidyn stood behind the general, not saying a word but secretly hoping that the minister would relent. Having been fully examined for any particularly nasty injuries obtained from the battle with the Moblins, Link and Aidyn were ready to fight and were waiting to see whether or not they would get to fight with their real swords. 

Zelda and Aidyn had taken great delight and care in telling both the King and Olaran of Link's single handed victory over Moreth. Link of course didn't see it as that big a deal, yet those who heard of his feat were not only amazed but genuinely impressed. Ruto had insisted that Link needed a kiss as a reward, but he had politely declined by opening his mouth as wide as a fish's and running away as though something terrible was about to happen which was probably the best course of action. Needless to say, he was not going to be popular with the Zora princess for about an hour.

The minister sighed and raised his eyes to the heavens.

"Well if you believe that they are able then let them fight, but only with permission from parents."

Olaran smiled.

"Aidyn has my permission."

Link heard what had been said and felt crestfallen.

"What's up?" Aidyn asked.

"Parents. I don't have any." He replied glumly.

"Don't you have a guardian?" Olaran asked him, taken by surprise that a ten year old could be devoid of any responsible adult.

Link was about to reply when Nabooru marched into the tent, followed by Impa and Darunia.

"We give the kid permission to fight." Nabooru said, using her voice that she used to attract male attention. "Link's situation is awkward as his guardian happens to be a tree."

The minister raised his eyebrows.

"A tree?"

All three Sages nodded their heads.

"Besides, Link and I are family." Darunia said assuredly. "He is my sworn Brother. I give him permission."

"But..."

Nabooru realised that they were meeting with opposition and pouted in a way that she knew all men found irresistible.

"Oh please let him fight, pretty please?" She asked, fluttering her eyelashes.

The minister gulped and loosened his collar, going bright pink in the process. 

"Minister, I speak on behalf of the Great Deku Tree, the boy's guardian." Impa said calmly, speaking with the voice of reason. "Link if permitted to fight with iron, as it was the Deku Tree himself that allowed the boy to take up swordsmanship. I also speak for the King of Hyrule, who permits this fight to commence with iron swords."

_Go Impa, Link thought, pleased that she was fighting for his corner._

"But..."

"Oh for crying out loud man, let him fight with iron!" Olaran protested.

Link shot the minister his most innocent grin and the blowfish guy finally relented.

"I suppose so."

Aidyn looked at Link, Link looked at Aidyn and both broke into exceedingly happy grins. 

"Round two?" Aidyn offered.

"Round two." Link confirmed. "And there had better not be any rabid Wolfos attempting to stop us."


	8. Link vs Aidyn (round 2)

Disclaimer: Do you suppose my parents will buy the rights to Zelda if I pass all my GCSEs? Didn't think so. So, I'll never own it. *sigh*

A.N: Yay, the fic's surpassed the 100 review mark! Thanks very much everybody! And guess what, it's not over yet!

Chapter 7: Link vs Aidyn (round two)

The reassembled crowd had gathered around the remains of the ring and were waiting anxiously for the fight to get under way. The guards, the competitors from the senior competition and more people than Link had ever seen in one place before were out to watch him fight, and he felt a miniscule lump rise in his throat that he quickly swallowed. So what if he had to fight with such a huge audience? At least this time people would believe him if he won.

From the corner of his eye, he spotted Zelda beaming at him and giving him the thumbs up, and he felt instantly more confidant. He had a kiss to win, not to mention a tournament. 

"Ready to settle this?" Aidyn asked, tossing aside the scabbard which he kept his sword in at his hip.

Link took a brief moment to size up Aidyn's weapon. Just over half a metre long, fairly sturdy looking and made of iron, reflecting the setting sun so that it glowed red-gold. Not a bad looking blade, he thought. 

"You bet I am, but don't expect me to go easy on you just cause you helped me out back there."

Aidyn smiled and took up a fighter's stance.

"That's the last thing I want you to do." He replied.

Link removed the Kokiri Sword from its place on his back, although slung over the opposite shoulder to its usual position. He made no mistake removing it and held it tightly with his right hand.

"Let's get going."

They didn't need an announcer to start them as Link allowed Aidyn to make the first move. Much to both boys' satisfaction, the sound of both swords meeting resounded with a clang around the arena to a tumultuous cheer. Link was able to interpret how much force was used in the blow and responded with one of his own. Aidyn blocked it sufficiently, although his opponent was pleased to note an extension in his footprints as the power of the blow forced him backwards.

"Nice one." Aidyn praised.

"Thanks." Link replied, blocking as Aidyn cut down upon the face of his sword.

Sparks flew upon impact and the crowd 'oohed' and 'aahed' in response before applauding.

"I've just broken a record." Link laughed.

"What's that?" Aidyn asked.

"This is the longest fight I've fought at this tournament without having won already. Thanks."

"Don't mention it." 

Aidyn jumped out of the way as Link feigned a slash at his belly before changing to attack his sword at the last minute. He defended, though just barely.

"You're good." Aidyn said, breathing slightly heavily.

"Same to you." Link replied, not tired in the least.

"Looks like I better stop holding back." 

Aiyn lunged and used so much force that Link nearly lost his footing. The crowd gasped and applauded heavily, cheering loudly.

"Let's get this over with before it gets dark." Aidyn smiled.

He began attacking sequentially, left, right, up, down over and over again. There was so much power behind each blow that Link was forced to walk backwards while defending with both hands.

_Link had better do something soon, otherwise this fight's gonna be over. Zelda thought, leaning forwards from her seat and watching intently._

The same thoughts were going through Link's mind as Aidyn drove him backwards. Now was definitely the time to change tactics. He began to laugh to break Aidyn's concentration and it worked.

"What's so funny?" Aidyn asked.

"I've been playing with you and everyone else since the start of this competition." He chuckled.

"How so?" The older boy asked curiously, stopping mid-swipe.

"Because..." Link grinned, swiping Aidyn's sword back and tossing his into the air. "I'm left handed."

He caught the sword with his sword hand and swiped the air confidently.

"Still think you can take me now?" He teased, unleashing a terrifyingly quick and accurate horizontal cut.

Aidyn's eyes widened in suprise, which was a response echoed by his father and about everyone else in the arena with the exception of the Sages, who were all smiling smugly.

The boys flew at each other, both quick and deadly accurate with their blows. The audience were on tenterhooks, and the atmosphere was electric as cheering squads had appeared and were ecouraging their champions.

"AIDYN!"

"GO LINK!"

Both boys failed to bat an eyelid as the fight continued at its worse. Hardly anyone could tell what was happening exactly as the boys were fighting so quickly that Link's sword appeared to be moving in a blur.

"Gods, where does that boy get it from?" Olaran breathed, staring in disbelief at what he was seeing. "He's like a demon!"

Zelda had never fully realised the full extent of Link's skills. Although they were nothing pretty or fancy, they were amazingly powerful and were extremely deadly. She could see why it was that the Goddesses felt fit to award him with the Triforce of Courage and felt even prouder than she had felt before.

Aidyn was weakening, Link could see that as his blows were beginning to lack the conviction that they had held at the start of the fight. He too was beginning to feel tired by his efforts, and he needed to be the one to finish this. He had saved just enough magic to utilise the Spin Slash Attack only once as a last resort. Besides, he wanted to win a victory that would be talked about for months to come.

"What do you say we finish this now?" He laughed, crouching low in the snow and holding back his sword.

Aidyn was breathing so heavily and the blood was pounding in his ears that he could hardly hear his opponent speak. He looked at Link curiously, particularly when the sword began to buzz and glow blue. Zelda was on the edge of her seat and watched as Link's sword changed to glow orange. Olaran could scarcely believe his eyes.

"If that is what I think it is, then Link is truly a greater warrior than any man I have ever met." He breathed.

Link saw Aidyn's bewildered expression and smiled.

"I'm sorry to have to do this Aidyn, it's nothing personal but I have to beat you now."

He unleashed a fully charged Spin Slash that caused all the snow around them to fly in the air and mask what was going on. It was as though a snow and fire tornado had devastated the arena as it swirled around the two boys. The audience gasped and went completely silent, until something in the arena clanged. Everyone held their breath as the snow began to clear...

Link was standing in the centre of the arena with the Kokiri Sword in his left hand...

And Aidyn's in his right.

******

The crowd were still cheering as they stormed the field and hefted the victorious ten year old high above their heads, even Aidyn who was beaming and ruffling the hair of his new friend.

"You said you'd win and by the Gods you did!" He laughed. "Three cheers for Link!"

The crowd were more than happy to oblige and tossed him in the air in correspondance with the 'hoorays'. Link was enjoying this, apart from the fact that he was beginning to feel a little air-sick. 

The mob carried him to the Royal Box, where he was placed in front of the King and bowed politely. He couldn't ignore the huge grin on Zelda's face, and suddenly felt himself blushing involuntarily when he remembered that he was going to get to kiss her. Well, it was about time too. He still hadn't quite forgiven her for not rewarding him with a kiss after saving her and Hyrule from Ganondorf.

"Congratulations Link, that was a magnificent victory!" Harkinian announced, receiving a chorus of cheers in response to the announcement. "In commemoration of your victory, I present you with this medal and a place at the high table at tonight's banquet!"

The applause was thunderous as Link's medal was place over his head by the King and he had his hand shaken by him. The boy then turned to Zelda, bowed to her and kissed her hand before going to shake Olaran's. It was only afterwards that Link noticed the sygnet ring on his right hand. It was made of gold and had a circular panel with a unicorn's head engraved in the middle. Link didn't know where he had seen that particular coat of arms before, but it was strangely familiar to him...

_I'll let you claim your prize after supper._

Zelda's voice echoed through his head and he was brought back to earth and Zelda's smiling face. Who cared about some stupid unicorn's head? He was going to kiss a princess after filling his belly with the best food in Hyrule.

And quite frankly, he couldn't wait!

A.N: To quote the words of that sports commentator at the 1966 World Cup Finals 'They think it's all over...' Well it ain't by a long shot ^_^!


	9. Unique Unicorns

Disclaimer: Legend of Zelda belongs to Nintendo. Drat.

Chapter 8: Unique Unicorns

A.N: No fighting in this chapter, gets a little angsty at the end, but other than that there's that surprising revelation that I warned you about and some scandal. Those of you who got it, pat yourselves on the back.

N.B: I've got a message for Koalakiller. This story is Link/Zelda because _I _want it to be and because it's _MY _story. It is none of your business whether I choose to focus on just a couple of the characters from the _Zelda_ series and ignore the others, because that's the way I write. Like it or lump it buddy, cause I'm not changing for anyone. Oh yeah, and about the predictability thing: how can it be predictable when the story is not a Link/Zelda romance? It's an action/adventure – humour fic for goodness sake! I just inserted that coupling for a spin off from the fighting so that people didn't get bored.

Dedication: To the defenders of the fic: Animal Cracker, veemongal and Bebe Bubblez. Thanks very much guys, much appreciated.

"Sa-ri-a!!" Link yelled, as Saria tipped another bucket of warm water over his head. "As much as I... ow! ...appreciate having you help me get ready for the banquet but... hey, that's hot! ... do you really need to bath me?"

Luckily for Link, his steaming hot bath was full of bubbles and even if someone had wanted to see his anatomy, it would have been very difficult for them with the soap suds.

Saria giggled and began to lather soap into his hair.

"Well you can't go to the banquet smelling like Moblins and stale sweat can you? You'd have people running away and screaming!"

Link closed his eyes tightly as a mass of soapy water fell over his face.

"But I'm a guy, girls don't bath guys."

"Link, I bathed you more times than I can count when you were a baby, so don't get uppity with me." Saria scolded in a motherly tone. "I've seen it all before."

"Yes, but I was a _baby then wasn't I? It didn't count."_

Saria giggled again aand blew away some of the bubbles in the tub.

"Hey! What did you do that for?" Link complained, stuggling to replace some of the bubbles. "I think I can finish off fine by myself."

Saria put her hands on her hips.

"Oh really? You've still got soap on the back of your neck, by the way."

Link grappled with a sponge that had escaped his grasp a few moments earlier and squeezed the water in it down the back of his neck.

"OK, you can go now." He told his bathmaid. "I'll bring you back a slice of cake from the party."

Saria beamed.

"OK."

She skipped out of his house and Link suddenly realised his mistake.

"Come back here with my towel. SARIA!!!"

******

After finally managing to get Saria to come back with his towel, Link had finally gotten dressed for the banquet and was ready to go. He was wearing a clean Kokiri tunic, as always, but he had cleaned his boots and opted to leave his hat at home. His medal was proudly hung around his neck, but he wasn't ready to go yet.

He was currently rifling through his chest in search of something that he had found when he was playing in the Deku Tree's meadow when he was little. He hadn't payed much attention to it when he had found it, but he had seen something today that had suddenly brought it to his attention.

"What _are you doing?" Saria asked, standing in the doorway and watching him with amusement. "You do realise that you're going to be late if you don't get going soo..."_

"Got it!" Link's muffled voice replied, as he pulled his head out of the chest and clutching in his fingers something small and circular. "I knew it!"

"Look at what you've done to your hair, you look a mess." Saria tutted, grabbing a brush from the wash basin and brushing his hair for him. "What's worth all that hassle?"

"This." Link beamed, holding in his palm a grubby gold ring.

"What's so special about that old thing?" Saria asked, peering at the piece of jewellry.

"Look at the middle, can you see what's engraved there?"

Saria squinted and then picked up the ring to look closer.

"It's a unicorn's head."

Link nodded. 

"Precisely."

Saria handed the ring back to Link, who looped a piece of string through it and hung it round his neck, tucking it inside his tunic.

"Why is that important? It's just a unicorn on a ring..."

"Yeah, but I'm sure I saw a ring today with that exact same unicorn in the middle. General Olaran was wearing it."

"Well maybe it was a very popular design."

Link shook his head.

"I dunno, but I'm gonna find out."

Saria chewed on her bottom lip for a moment.

"Link, that ring you have is too small for a man's ring and we don't wear any jewellery in the forest. Do you suppose it was..."

"My mother's?" Link finished for her. "I dunno, but I'm gonna find out."

******

When he arrived, Link was greeted eagerly by Zelda and Aidyn. Aidyn had changed from his brown pants and blue vest and was now in a pair of grey pants and a white long sleeved shirt. Zelda was looking, in Link's opinion, like an angel. Her blonde hair hung loose at her shoulders and served as a striking contrast to the very pale blue dress she was wearing. She had a gold circlet crowing her head and a smile on her face that seemed to light the room.

"You're late." She teased, giving him a hug. "Everybody's been talking about you all evening."

"Yeah." Aidyn agreed. "They all want to meet the boy who beat the Moblin."

Link smiled and then spotted Olaran talking to the King. He'd have to go and ask him about the ring a little later, when he was less busy.

"Link, you've got to meet Ramone, he's the one who won the senior tournament." Zelda whispered. "You could beat him next year."

She steered her way through the crowd with Link following and Aidyn behind.

"Hey Ramone!" Aidyn said cheerfully, greeting a well built young man. 

Ramone spun around and beamed at the three youngsters, and Link found it hard to believe how much like Aidyn the man looked.

"Ramone, this is Link." Aidyn said cheerfully. "Link, this is my cousin Ramone."

"Nice to meet ya kid." Ramone said, and Link couldn't help but like the cheerful man. 

Like Aidyn, he had a mass of black hair and the same mahogany eyes, but he had a rough stubbly beard around his chin. 

"So, a smallfry like you beat up that Moblin? Good on ya, Hyrule needs people like you. It seems the age of heroes is long gone."

"I wouldn't say that." Zelda said, shooting Link a secret smile that made him blush.

"Little princess, you are so like your mother that it's frightening." Ramone said cheerfully, but Link detected a note of bitterness in his voice.

"Ramone, can I have a word with you?" Olaran asked, appearing from nowhere and tapping his nephew on the shoulder.

Ramone looked surprised and nodded, following Olaran to a quiet corner of the room. Link watched them go, and could see angry expressions crossing both of their faces. 

"I'm going to get a drink, do you two want something?" Aidyn asked.

"Please." The two answered simultaneously.

He walked off to get them some punch while Zelda looked at her friend with a smile.

"OK, so what do you want to talk to me about?"

Link looked at her in surprise.

"How do you do that?" 

Zelda smiled.

"Telepathic, remember?"

"Oh yeah." Link smiled sheepishly. "OK, I've got something to show you."

He produced the ring from around his neck and showed it to her. She looked at it in total surprise.

"Link, where did you get this?" She whispered.

"I found it in the forest."

Zelda stared at it long and hard.

"Do you know what this is?" She asked in disbelief.

"It's a ring." Link stated simply.

"It's not just any ring, stupid." She scolded. "This is a wedding ring, and it's a woman's."

"How can you tell?" Link asked.

"It's too big for a sygnet ring and too small for a man's ring and there is no way that it belongs to a Kokiri."

"So it _does belong to my mother!" He laughed. _

Zelda looked at it carefully and then touched the unicorn's head in the centre.

"Gods, I have a feeling that this ring is more than your mother's wedding ring. It's got her family crest on it, and it's exactly the same as Olaran's!"

"Are you saying that my mother was Olaran's sister or something?"

Zelda shook her head.

"No, I think she was his wife."

Link's eyes were as wide as saucers.

"Olaran might be my father?" He whispered. "Aidyn's my... brother?"

"It makes sense. Olaran's wife and son disappeared when I was nine months old. They found her body a week later, but the baby was never found."

Link took in the information like a sponge. He pocketed the ring and looked over in Olaran's direction.

"Link, what are you going to do?" Zelda asked, putting a hand on his arm. 

"I have to know Zel. If he's my dad, then I need to know."

Zelda nodded and let go of his arm.

"All right, but you have to promise me something."

"What's that?" He asked. 

"Don't rush in there saying that you're his son, OK? My father says that after Olaran's wife died, he was crushed and he's never been the same. If you're not his son after all, then I don't know what it will do to him."

"I won't." He assured her, kissing her cheek. "By the way, that _wasn't my reward."_

Zelda grinned and watched him cut through the crowds.

******

"I don't see why you're so annoyed, I thought I was doing the right thing!" Ramone told his uncle.

Link slowed down as he heard his voice and lurked in the shadows. Olaran's face was cool, calm, and slightly angry.

"You don't have to talk to the Princess with such disdain, she is _not her mother."_

Link was curious and edged closer.

"And that's a very good thing." Ramone scoffed. "Why are you defending that whore?"

"I'm not denying that she is what you say." Olaran said quietly. "But Princess Zelda is the most gentle, kind and thoughtful child I have ever met and she is nothing like her mother."

"What a relief for Hyrule."

"Stop that. Whatever it was that Cordelia did, I have forgiven her. Life's too short to bear grudges."

"Olaran, why are you making excuses for the woman who is responsible for Ariala and Ranlink's death?" Ramone said angrily.

Link felt his throat tighten and had to remind himself to breathe. Olaran looked at his nephew sadly.

"It wasn't just Cordelia and you know that."

"Yeah, but wasn't your fault that you fell in love with the manipulative bitch."

Link didn't want to hear any more and he ran as fast as he could out of the ballroom. He couldn't hear anything and briefly saw Zelda and Aidyn in the corner of his eye, looking puzzled. But none of that mattered.

His mother was dead because his father had been having an affair.

With Zelda's mother.


	10. The Whole Sordid Truth

Disclaimer: Things that are mine include Aidyn, Olaran, Ramone, Cordelia and Ariala. Everything else is Nintendo's. If Legend of Zelda belonged to me, just think of everything I could do... I could rule the world! Er, no.

A.N. How did I write _3 _chapters in one day?! It was raining and there was nothing else to do, I have no exams to cram for and I just couldn't stop. These are the last 2 chapters of the story and the epilogue. Enjoy!

Chapter 10: The Whole Sordid Truth

Zelda quickly escaped the castle in hot pursuit of her friend and found him quickly preparing to mount Epona.

"Link? Where are you going?" She asked.

When Link turned to face her, she was shocked to see his face deathly pale and that he was looking at her almost disdainfully.

"What's the matter? Isn't Olaran your father?"

Link took a deep shuddering breath and stared Zelda in the eye.

"Oh he's my father alright, that's painfully obvious." He said, struggling to keep his voice calm. "But I don't know whether or not to say _our father."_

Zelda felt her jaw drop involuntarily.

"What are you saying?"

"Olaran was having an affair with your mother!" Link snapped. "It's their fault that my mother's dead!"

The princess stood very still for a while, looking straight at her friend with her beautiful blue eyes full of hurt.

"You can't be serious..." She whispered. 

Link felt sorry for his outburst and hung his head.

"I'm sorry Zelda, I heard it with my own ears."

"But Link, " She began, looking at him earnestly. "That can't be true, about Olaran being my father. My mother had grey eyes and Olaran's are brown. Do my eyes look either of those colours to you?"

Link shook his head.

"No..."

"Exactly, so don't you _dare accuse me of being a bastard ever again!" She snapped, her eyes narrowed into a glare. _

"I'm sorry." He said with a shaky voice. "It's just that I... I don't know how to handle this right now..."

Zelda gave him a comforting hug, holding onto him tightly.

"Well it's kind of hard for me to accept it too." She replied. "Are you _certain that it was my mother?"_

Link nodded against her shoulder.

"Ramone said something about you being like her, and Olaran said that you were nothing like her and then Ramone said something about it not being Olaran's fault for falling in love with a manipulative..." 

He checked himself, remembering whose daughter he was talking to.

"Link, maybe you should talk to your father about this." Zelda suggested softly.

Link drew back from the hug, his eyes murderous.

"He's not my father, I'll never accept that." He said, his voice shaking with anger again. "What kind of man has an affair with his best friend's wife and then lets his own die and not bother looking for his son? Not the kind of father I want to have."

"What are you going to do?" Zelda asked, putting her hand on his shoulder. "Are you going to confront him?"

Link shook his head.

"I dunno Zel, I really don't." 

He sat down on a stone bollard and put his head in his hands.

"I've always wondered what my father was like." He said quietly. "I thought maybe I was the son of a great hero, or a rich nobleman or even a farmer. One day I was going to find him and he'd be so happy to have me back, because I was _his son, and I'd be happy with my family until I was old enough to marry someone and have a family of my own. And you know what else? People were going to come up to him in the street and say 'Hey, aren't you Link's father?' and he'd be so proud of me, because his son was the Hero of Time."_

Zelda was alarmed to see angry tears shining in her friend's eyes.

"Link, Olaran is a great man." She said softly. "He has been responsible for numerous victories for Hyrule's army, none of our enemies will even consider attacking _because of Olaran. You should be proud of him, and I know that he'd be proud of you..."_

"But I don't want _him to be proud of me, I don't want to be related to him! How can I be proud of the man who let my mother die because he was with another woman?"_

Zelda couldn't help but feel uncomfortable hearing him talk that way.

"I know this is hard for you, but you have to remember that the other woman was my mother, if all of this is true." She said quietly. "You _have to ask Olaran, we need to know."_

"Why do you need to know? You know who you are."

"Not if what you say is true." She replied. "I need to know just as much as you do..."

The sound of Impa's voice silenced the pair instantly as she walked out into the courtyard, calling them in for dinner.

"My, you two look serious. What's the matter?" She asked.

Zelda looked across at Link, who was looking at Impa questioningly.

"Impa, how long have you been at the castle for?" He asked.

Impa smiled and folded her arms.

"I have been here for twelve years. Why do you ask?"

"Did my mother ever indulge in a love affair with General Olaran?" Zelda blurted, unable to face the uncertainty any longer.

Impa looked startled at the princess' outburst and then she saw the look in Link's eyes and sighed.

"So Ariala's son has discovered the truth." She stated sadly. "I had hoped this day would not arise while you two were still so young."

"I still think the way I did when I was seventeen and so does Link." Zelda argued. "We're old enough to understand and we deserve the truth."

Impa sighed again and sat down on the bollard next to Link.

"I have no doubt that you two have the minds of adults, but you have no knowledge of matters of the heart. Yes Zelda, you mother did love Olaran once, I don't think she ever stopped loving him deep down, but she also loved your father very much."

Zelda stood rigid in the middle of the courtyard, disbelief written all over her face.

"I know the next question you are going to ask and the answer to that is no." Impa said swiftly. "You are not Olaran's daughter. Before you were born, Olaran came to the castle with his wife for a ball and left the following morning. Nine months later, Link was born."

"You _knew who I was and you never told me?" Link asked, looking shocked. "How? Why didn't you tell me?"_

Impa smiled fondly at the boy and pushed his hair away from his face.

"You are very dear to me Link, and I knew that if I were to tell you this then you would not understand. I was going to tell you when the time was right, but it seems that circumstances have lead to you finding out. I presume you found her ring?"

"How did you know about that?" He asked, getting more surprises than he had bargained for that evening.

"Because I saw that it was missing when he body was brought back to the castle. Olaran was too grief-stricken to notice, but I did. I knew your mother, and I knew the moment that Zelda sent you to me that you were Ariala's son. You have the same eyes and the same fire in your spirit. It was one of the things that endeared you to me as a baby. I knew that wherever you were, someone had taken her ring to entrust you when you sought the truth of your heritage. The Deku Tree must have taken it and then relinquished it accidentally, which is why you found it."

Link nodded.

"But what about my mother and Olaran?" Zelda persisted. "How serious were they?"

She took Zelda's hands and looked her straight in the eye.

"I was the queen's most devoted servant, and I know that she never betrayed your father in the way you are suggesting. She honoured her wedding vows until..." 

"She couldn't resist herself and had an affair with my..." Link said, unable to bring himself to say the word 'father'.

"No." Impa said firmly. "They did not have an affair, not to my knowledge. Cordelia was severely depressed after she had Zelda, and it did not help when Ariala moved into the castle with Link and Aidyn during the war. When Olaran was brought home injured one day, that was the final straw for her and she..."

The Sheikah took a few deep breaths before continuing.

"She went mad with jealousy and somehow the King and Ariala walked in on her kissing him."

"I don't want to hear any more!" Zelda cried, closing her eyes and clenching her fists. "Please Impa, no more!"

She spun on her heel and feld while Link sat quietly absorbing all the information.

"It's alright Impa." He said. "I think I know what happened next. My mother ran away and took me with her. Ganondorf caught up with her and she ended up dying in the forest."

Impa nodded.

"I suppose that must have been what happened, although I did not know that Ganondorf was involved."

Link sighed.

"Nor did I, until that Moblin told me. It makes you wonder just how low that Gerudo scum is capable of going." He said grimly.

Impa put her hand on the boys shoulder.

"I've told you everything I know now, although there is something that I must tell you that Zelda does not know and I don't want you to tell her." She said seriously.

"Maybe you shouldn't be telling me this..."

"I feel that you should know. After your mother's body was found and brought back here, Queen Cordelia was filled with guilt and grief. She felt guilty for your mother's death and yours, as we thought at the time, but grief consumed her when she realised that Olaran now hated her and Harkinian, although he loved her more than life itself, could not bring himself to look or speak to her. He forgave Olaran but not Cordelia. She was miserable and the thing that worsened the situation was that she now hated Zelda."

"Why?" 

"Because to Cordelia, Zelda had the two things that she didn't, the love of Olaran and Harkinian. She couldn't stay there anymore, and she was too afraid to kill herself, so she ran away. To this day, we don't know where she is, but the King still loves her and honours his wedding vows. That is why he will never remarry. Zelda thinks that her mother died of cancer, and we don't intend to tell her otherwise."

"But that isn't fair on her!" Link said indignantly. "She should know!"

"Please Link, you must promise me that you won't tell her. She must never know." Impa reiterated.

Link looked sombre for a few moments and then nodded reluctantly.

"I won't."

Impa smiled and patted him on the back.

"Good boy. Now I think you should go in and celebrate your victory."

He nodded again and got off his bollard, walking into the hall with his head held high. He was Link, the Hero of Time.

The son of Hyrule's greatest General.


	11. Link's Decision

Disclaimer: Nothing's changed. Zelda isn't mine, mores the pity.

Chapter 11: Link's Decision.

The meal passed incredibly slowly, as Link ate and drank with little merriment and kept his eyes cemented on his father and brother. He'd occasionally laugh at jokes or make some of his own, but other than that his mind was on too many other important matters. Towards the end of the meal, Harkinian stood and tapped his wine glass, calling for silence.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, tonight we honour the achievements of Hyrule's warriors in this year's tournament. Indeed, I am most relieved to see that so many outstanding swordsmen are apparent at such a young age, as well as having such skilled warriors in our army and guarding my home."

Link disguised his laugh with a cough, and Zelda lightly kicked him under the table before squeezing his hand.

"I should say that things were looking dubious this afternoon as to whether tonight's festivities would be taking place, due to an unexpected interruption in proceedings, but thanks to the courageous efforts of one boy, disaster was avoided."

Link felt several pairs of eyes focus on him and he kept his gaze on the shield hung on the wall.

"This brave youth single handedly took on the Moblin chief, but was not only able to defeat him but able to lead him far enough away so that no-one was injured. You might be expecting this sort of feat from Hyrule's finest warriors, but Hyrule's hero of the day is just a lad of ten years. What some of you may find even more impressive is that he not only defeated the Moblin, but he scored maximum points on the archery _and defeated Aidyn in the final of the juniour tournament. Ladies and Gentlemen, charge your glasses please to Link, Hyrule's newest hero!"_

The toast resounded around the hall and Link felt himself blushing a little.

"To Link." Zelda said quietly at his side. "The undisputed Hero of Time."

People began to bang on the tables and the universal chant of 'speech' went up around the room. Reluctantly, Link stood up to a mighty round of applause and cleared his throat.

"Um, hi." He began shakily, receiving a laugh in response. "I guess size doesn't matter does it? I mean, I'm a runt, a pipsqueak, a baby..."

Yoric, Horeb, Tristian, Pebo, Voren and Forn all looked away guiltily.

"But here I am, still standing after rumbling with a Moblin that not even General Olaran could defeat."

There was more laughter, but Zelda was alarmed to see Link's eyes locked onto Olaran and could see them darken slightly in what looked to be anger.

"I've not always been a Hylian." He began, getting looks of surprise. "Up until recently I was raised as a Kokiri in the forest, after my mother was killed in the Unifying War. Even in a forest amongst people who would always be kids, I was still the runt, the pipsqueak, the big joke to everyone. One person took me seriously there, and it was the same today and yesterday. I know what you were all thinking when I took part in that archery, 'Look at the little kid. Why's he fighting?' I was fighting for recognition, to be taken seriously and to be accepted as a fighter even though I'm still a child. I can only hope I've acheived that. I've had to fight every day since my mother died, I fought for survival and I fought to be accepted amongst the Kokiri. I can't help but wonder whether or not things would have been different if my mother hadn't died, or if my father, who I have never known, had come to look for me."

Olaran's eyes met Link's during that sentence and for a moment the boy froze before continuing with his speech, keeping his gaze level with his father's.

"But now I know that there's no point in wishing for things to have been different. If life isn't going the way that you planned it then you have to fight to make it go your way. And that's the advice I'm going to give you all. Don't give up on something just because it seems that it's hopeless, because it's not."

He received a round of applause but kept standing and staring purposefully at his father before sitting down with a nod of acknowledgment to his fans. Olaran kept his eyes on the boy, feeling his heart pound at an erratic rate. Once the diners had risen to take to dancing, he walked over to where the young champion was sitting and talking to Zelda.

"Link, might I have a word with you?" He asked, trying hard to keep his voice from shaking.

Link looked up, and Olaran once again saw the angry, challenging look in the depths of his eyes.

"Alright." He said emotionlessly.

Zelda looked at him anxiously and he smiled slightly at her.

_Meet me outside afterwards. _

Zelda read his thoughts and nodded as he walked off behind Olaran. Something told her that their confrontation was going to be life changing.

******

Once they were outside in the courtyard, Olaran turned and looked at the boy before him and dropped to his knees, holding his shoulders and looking intently at his face.

"I can't believe that I didn't notice it before. Link, are you... are you _my Link?"_

Link looked into his father's eyes and saw his face reflected in them, he looked sombre and indifferent, but he nodded anyway.

"Of course you are! I can't believe it! Oh Gods..."

The older man could barely contain his tears and hugged the boy fiercely, holding him tightly against him as though he'd never let him go. When he eventually drew back, he kept his hands on Link's shoulders and looked him up and down.

"Gods look how you've grown, you're exactly how I dreamed you'd be!"

He smiled happily and seemed oblivious to Link's expression.

"You have her eyes, and you have the same attitude as her... I can't believe that I didn't notice it! And you're left handed just like her, you're Ariala's for sure, my son!"

He reached out to hug him again but Link pushed him away.

"I'm not your son." He said coldly.

Olaran laughed.

"Don't be foolish Ranlink, you just told me that you were. I can't wait to tell Aidyn that his little brother's coming home..."

"I'm _not coming with you, my home is here. And my name is Link." Link snapped. "I'm not going with you."_

"But you said you would." Olaran argued. "You said you'd come to train under me..."

"I said I'd think about it." Link said in a cold voice. "And I have. I could never respect a man who let his wife die and abandoned his son, even if he was my own father."

He saw the hurt look in Olaran's eyes, but was unaffected by it. He didn't care, he was not the one in the wrong.

"How could you possibly think that?" He asked. "I never abandoned you and I never let your mother die..."

"You didn't stop her from running away with me did you? Oh yeah, I forgot, you were too busy kissing my best friend's mother!" Link retaliated. "How could you do that to my mother? To me and Aidyn? I thought the King was your best friend, and you went and did that to him! How can you look at Zelda without feeling guilty? It's your fault that she doesn't have a mother and it's your fault that you don't have a wife!"

The hurt in Olaran's eyes would have encouraged pity from anyone except the son who was staring at him furiously.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, son."

"Don't call me that!" Link roared. "I'll never accept you as my father, NEVER!"

Olaran saw the fury in the dark blue eyes of his long lost child and knew that all attempts of reconciliation were futile.

"I'll go now, if that's what you want, but I want you to know that I never once gave up hope of finding you alive, even when everyone told me that it was useless. I never betrayed your mother and I only hope that you can forgive me someday. I'll always love you, Link. No matter what you may say or think can change that."

He planted a small kiss on his son's head and walked sadly back into the dining hall, casting a sorrowful look at the boy as he returned to the banquet. The child's chest was heaving with anger and for the first time that night, Olaran realised exactly how much like his wife his youngest son looked.

"Dad?"

Aidyn tapped him on the shoulder, looking concerned.

"What's wrong Dad? You look like you've seen a ghost." He laughed. 

His expression slipped back into concern as he saw his father was unresponsive.

"Dad, are you OK?"

Olaran nodded.

"I'm fine Aidyn, just fine."

He put his hand around his son's shoulder.

"Link doesn't want to train with us any more." He told his oldest son. "You don't mind do you?"

Aidyn looked momentarily disappointed but shook his head.

"I guess not, I don't think there was much you could have taught him anyway. It would have been cool having him around though, it'd have been like having a little brother again."

Olaran had to turn his head so that his son couldn't see his tears.

******

"Link, are you OK?" Zelda asked, approaching her friend.

He was staring up at the sky, watching the stars.

"Do you reckon that the stars are going to be the same in whatever country we go to?" He asked her, not looking at her.

"I suppose so." She said, standing next to him. "Why do you ask?"

He turned around and looked into her eyes, smiling a little sadly.

"I'm thinking about going away." He said.

Zelda couldn't contain her surprised look.

"But why Link? Where would you go?"

Link shrugged.

"I've been thinking about it for a while now. I mean, I haven't got a clue where Navi is and although she was a total pest I feel that I should find her 'cause she was friend when it came down to the crunch."

He took a deep breath and continued.

"And as much as I'd love to stay here, I'd just be sitting on my butt waiting for something to happen and I'd get lazy. I need to practice so I might as well practice on monsters somewhere instead of beating everyone without breaking a sweat here, and it wouldn't be fair to _always beat everyone at the tournament."_

Zelda smiled.

"You're going because you need to get your head around all that's happened today, aren't you?" She asked quietly. "You don't have to make excuses for your actions in front of me. I won't try to stop you, because you want to go and once you've got an idea in your head, there's no stopping you."

"You know me too well, don't you?" He grinned.

Zelda nodded.

"I do."

"I think I better get going, I want to go tomorrow morning and I should get an early night." He said.

Zelda nodded again and gave him a hug.

"You'll come and see me before you go, won't you?"

He nodded and hugged her back.

"You bet I will."

Once the hug was broken, he ran off out of the courtyard. Zelda sighed, he'd forgotten to collect his prize.

"Zelda!" 

She spun around and was greeted by Link, who grabbed hold of her waist and kissed her innocently on the mouth. Her eyes were as wide as saucers and remained that way until he broke the kiss, when both were blushing like tomatoes.

"Well... goodnight." Zelda said breathlessly.

Link grinned.

"Night Zellie."

******


	12. Epilogue

Disclaimer: Haven't owned Zelda for the whole story, still don't. Nintendo do, and they're making way too much money to bother suing little old me. 

Epilogue

By the following morning all of the snow had melted, leaving the ground boggy and smelling of earth. Link stood in the outer courtyard of Hyrule Castle with Epona by his side, waiting for Zelda to come and wave him off. She appeared finally, looking a little sad and dressed in the same thing she had worn the day they first met. Link blushed at the memory of his first attempt at a kiss the night before, but was pleased to see that Zelda didn't look ready to murder him.

"You're already leaving this land of Hyrule, aren't you?" She began sadly.

Link nodded.

"If I have to."

She smiled and looked him straight in the eye.

"Even though it was only a short time, I feel like I've known you forever. I'll never forget the days we spent together in Hyrule and I believe in my heart that a day will come when I shall meet you again."

Link laughed a little.

"Of course we'll see each other again Zelda, how could we not?"

Zelda looked at him fondly and delved into her pocket.

"Until that day comes, please... take this."

She handed the Ocarina of Time to him and suppressed a giggle as she saw his eyes widen in surprise.

"Man, I feel bad now. I didn't get you anything."

She smiled.

"What you gave me last night was enough."

He smiled back and gave her a little hug, which she reciprocated.

"I am praying... I am praying that your journey be a safe one." She said earnestly. "If something should happen to you, remember this song. This song reminds me of us..."

She took the Ocarina back briefly and played the Song of Time before handing it to him again.

"How could I forget that song?" Link laughed. "That got us into a whole heap of trouble."

Zelda laughed.

"Not just that one, there was the Song of Storms that got you in trouble with a certain scary windmill guy."

Link rolled his eyes.

"Don't remind me."

They laughed again before Zelda touched his shoulder.

"We've had some good times, haven't we?" She said, sounding nostalgic.

"Yeah, and we'll have some even better ones once I come home."

"I hope that's sooner rather than later." She said in a mock commanding voice. 

"Me too. I just... need to get my head round things and then once I'm done I'll be home. I promise." 

They hugged each other again, only this time a little tighter and a little longer than the last.

"I'm really going to miss you." Zelda whispered, feeling tears spring to her eyes.

"I'll miss you too." Link replied, giving her a squeeze.

He got onto Epona and took one last look at Hyrule Castle, bathed in the morning sun.

"Zel, can you do me a favour while I'm gone?"

"Anything." She replied, looking up at him with a pretty smile.

"Can you keep an eye on my family for me?"

Zelda was at first surprised by his request and then nodded.

"Of course I will, just as long as you keep an eye on yourself."

Link laughed and touched her cheek.

"You know I will. Take care of yourself OK?"

"And you. Have a good journey."

As he rode off on his new adventure, Zelda stood staring after him.

"The Goddess of Time is protecting you. The Song of Time will aid you." She said to him, although he was too far away to hear. "Someday you'll come back to Hyrule and then we shall see whether or not what I am starting to feel for you is love."

A.N: C'est fini! That's it! Thanks very much for all your reviews, I've loved reading every one of them with the exception of one... *coughcoughcoughKoalakillercough* and I'm really happy that so many people enjoyed it. Unless none of you got that, Link was off on his travels to Termina at the end. I thought that would be a nice little thing to put at the end of a fic that I've loved writing, and also giving him a slightly better motive for leaving than looking for Navi cause let's face it, who'd want to look for _Navi?_

Now to the business of who'd like a sequel or a prequel. I can do both, but not at the same time, and it's really a matter of who'd like what. To help matters, here are snippets of the fics. First the sequel:

_Olaran's blade was swift and merciful, putting an end to the lives of his enemies before they even had time to realise what was happening. Atop his iron-grey stallion, he was a sight that not many men would forget. Many of the men would return home and later tell their sons and grandsons that they had fought with the undefeated General and tell of his splendour in that battle with his red cloak billowing in the wind and his armour gleaming golden in the light of the dying sun. Even his own son, fighting with all his strength on the ground, looked upon his father in awe as the depleted enemy number began to retreat. This was a man that anyone in Hyrule would be proud to call father._

_With the exception of one man, who couldn't bear to face the fact that he **was Olaran's son.**_

And now the prequel:

_The rain was falling heavily in sheets and the Gerudo man's sharp eyes caught sight of a figure walking slowly along the field path. Ganondorf shuddered with an unexpected coldness that was not caused by the rain. It was caused the second he heard the cries of a bawling infant._

_Kotake and Koume looked at each other nervously._

_"The Hero of Time." Kotake hissed._

_Ganondorf turned around to face the fire witch._

_"What? Are you telling me that the woman there is the Hero of Time?"_

_Koume looked at the Gerudo King._

_"It could well be sire, but the prophecy said that it would be a male, it must be the babe."_

_Ganondorf frowned._

_"It will not live. Nothing is going to stop me from reaching my ultimate goal."_

_He charged up an orb of fire and held it above his head._

_"Not even that child."_

Right, e-mails or reviews with requests and I'll see what I can do. Thanks very much and goodnight!


End file.
